The Visible Invisible
by Emeraleyes
Summary: (Complete) When you feel invisible, you'd do anything to have someone really see you; the way you've always wanted to be seen. But if the only person who actually sees you is the last person you'd ever expect it to be, what do you do? (Post Hogwarts)
1. Juggling

**A/N:**  First attempt at a fic.  Hope you like, if not, flame away.

**Standard fanfic disclaimer applies.**

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**Chapter 1: Juggling******

Valiantly attempting to juggle her stack of files, her handbag, wand, and an enormous pile of books while waving to her personal assistant as she dashed into her office, Ginny Weasley groaned as the carefully balanced stack of her possession slid to the floor, while she tried to unlock the door.

"Ginny, just ask me for help, dear, that's what I'm around for," Clarice, her assistant said, appearing for behind the desk, gathering the fallen files, unlocking the door, and assisting Ginny with her books, and guiding her into the office and sitting her down in the matter of a few seconds.

"Thank you Clarice," Ginny said, sighing as she allowed herself to relax for a few minutes before jumping up.

"Don't worry about it, Ginny, I've already sent the owl out to the Minister, he should have your report on his desk tomorrow morning by the time he arrives.  The press release was just owled to the Daily Prophet, and I've arranged your appointments for the next two days.  A copy of the schedule in on your desk, and another has been sent to your flat.  The only thing you need to worry about tonight –"

"—Is making it to my dinner meeting with the delegate from the French Embassy!" she exclaimed, checking the clock, and seeing that she had a mere few minutes to go before she was going to be late.  She ran to the closet in the corner of the office, where she kept a small amount of extra clothing for emergencies such as this one.  As a diplomat Britain's Ministry for Magic, her commitments at formal functions were endless, and due to her busy schedule, she was constantly forgetting where she had to be at any given moment.  If it weren't for Clarice, she would be lost most of the time.

"Ginny!" Clarice called, as Ginny pulled a suitable jacked off a hanger, planning to throw it on over her blouse, and with the skirt she was already wearing, she figured that it would be suitable.  Attempting to slid on a different pair of heels while dashing out of the door caused her to stumble a few times, as Clarice constantly tried to gain her attention.

"What?" she asked distractedly.  _If she could just get the damn shoe on…_

"We cancelled that meeting three weeks ago.  You're expected in Hogsmeade in a few hours, for the engagement party.  Don't you remember?"  With that, Ginny stopped her flustered attempts at preparing herself for a diplomatic function, and turned to stare at Clarice in confusion.

"Engagement party?  Who's getting married?" she asked, startled.  Her life had been so hectic as she struggled with the overwhelming schedule that she had, but she knew that it wasn't so busy that she could possibly forget a wedding, now could it?

"Harry Potter, Ginny!  We talked about this when you received the invitation.  You accepted without batting an eyelash.  How could you forget it?" Clarice demanded.  Upon hearing this, Ginny felt as though she had been hit with a ton of bricks.  She leaned back against the door, which wasn't shut all of the way, and lost her balance, and slumped to the floor.

"Oh," was all she could manage.

"Oh, Ginny, it's alright if you don't want to go.  I can send your excuses.  Take the night, relax a bit.  You're going to have a hard time of it, as the new Cooperation Bill comes up for debate, it'll be good for you to have a night off," Clarice said, noting the stricken look on her boss's face.

"No, I want to go.  I just – I just can't believe I forgot about it, that's all.  Of course I have to go, my family'll be there, and I haven't seen them in so long.  No, of course I'm going.  I have to go.  I want to go," Ginny said softly, as if trying to convince herself.

"If you're sure, Ginny.  I went ahead and laid out an outfit for you on your bed at home.  You have a few hours still, you might as well go home, have a nice shower, and show up looking stunning.  It will make you feel better," Clarice said, helping her up.

"Nothing to feel bad about," she muttered, distractedly.  Taking a quick look around her office, she grabbed her wand and was about to pick up a few files to bring with her when Clarice started pushing her out of the office.

"Of you go, Ginny.  Try not to be late, you're developing quite a reputation," Clarice warned her.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised before she Disapparated.

* * * * * *

Ron Weasley surveyed the crowd, searching among the sea of people, for a particular redhead.  Shaking his head and glancing at the clock, he turned to Hermione Granger.

"Did you really think she was going to make it tonight, Ron?  After all, it's Harry; he's not just some friend from Hogwarts.  It would be a little awkward if she showed, don't you think?" she said knowingly.

"Still, he's family, Hermione, and she should be here.  She used to put her family first, you know, before she took that bloody job.  Speaking of missing guests, why isn't your fellow here yet?" he asked smugly.

"Oh, enough, Ronald Weasley.  I simply won't talk to you if you are going to continually make such comments about Michael," she immediately jumped on the defense, knowing very well where he would take that conversation if she allowed him.

"Hermione, calm down.  Just wondering, that's all," he said gruffly, unwilling to unleash her temper when it was Harry's night.  Before the two could say anything else, Fred and George Weasley joined them.

"Ron, have you seen Ginny yet?"

"No, I don't think she's coming," Ron answered.

"Figures.  Some prominent meeting with some diplomatic git from Bulgaria, I suppose.  I just didn't think she'd miss this, that's all."

"Who would miss what?" a cool voice asked, from behind the group.  The three brothers all smiled, seeing their little sister for the first time in months.  She was dressed smartly, in a champagne silk dress with her hair twisted into a sophisticated French braid, and she wore a big, beaming smile.

"Now who might that be, Fred?"

"No idea, George.  Never met that girl before in my life."

"Kind of reminds me of a sister we used to have.  You know, short kid with red hair."

"Used to make time for her family, and visit her brothers on occasion."

"Couldn't possibly be her, though, could it?  Our Ginny is still trapped under a pile of reports somewhere in the Ministry for Magic to come see us."

"Boys, stop it," Ginny admonished, before hugging her brothers.  "You know I'd be around more if I could, but with this new Act in the works, I can hardly get away from the office."

"We're just glad to know you are still alive, Gin.  It's been too long," Ron said, surveying his sister.  She looked too grown up, too sophisticated for his peace of mind.  He could still remember the shy freckled baby sister that she would always be in his mind.

"Have you seen Harry yet?" Hermione whispered to Ginny, as the boys began a debate about the upcoming Quidditch playoffs.  

"I just arrived, Hermione.  I thought I should speak to my brothers first," she whispered back, desperate to avoid that topic of conversation.

"Ron!  Hermione!  I didn't see you come in!  Come on over and say hello to Gabrielle!  I can't wait for you two to meet her," a familiar voice called out.  Looking over, and catching a pair of green eyes, Ginny looked down, feeling awkward.   Not quite sure what he'd say, how he'd react to seeing her, she fiddled with the strap of her handbag.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron and Hermione walk over to a gesturing Harry, a pretty woman with blond hair holding on to his arm, smiling at his best friends.  She sighed.  He hadn't seen her; or if he had, he didn't want to acknowledge her presence.  Either way, she was okay with it.

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That's the first chapter. Any questions, comments, you know how to reach me.


	2. Duty Calls, Duty Paid

**Chapter 2: Duty Calls, Duty Paid******

Looking around the hall, she spotted a pair of glass doors leading out on to a veranda.  Eager to step away from the crowds of people, most of who were friends from school, or important wizards in the community.  She had no desire to speak to either group, and so she made her way outside, reveling in the feeling of the fresh air as it struck her face.  She looked off into the distance, and could make out the tree outline of the Forbidden Forest.  It was so strange to know that Hogwarts, a place that had been so important to her childhood, was only a few minutes away.

That thought unleashed a few memories that she felt were better off buried, and she allowed herself a few minutes to reminisce of days past.  She sighed, a particular memory plaguing her.  Ginny, there's no use playing the 'what if' game.  What's done is done.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that she was no longer alone on the veranda until the person who had been watching her spoke.

"Ginny, I'm glad you made it.  It's been such a long time since I've seen you," he said softly, leaning on the railing beside her.  She turned to face him, forcing a weak smile.

"I wouldn't miss this, Harry.  Congratulations.  I can tell you're very happy with her," she said, forcing herself to mean what she said.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't come, and I'm just relieved that you made it.  It wouldn't have been the same without my little sister here, you know," he said with a wink.  Little sister.   How quickly my role in your life has changed, Harry, she thought.

"You really shouldn't have worried about it, Harry.  You're getting married; it's a big deal.  Of course I would come, I want to be one of the first to congratulate you and meet your fiancée."

"Have you met her yet?  Give me a moment, and I'll run and get her," he said, smiling as he dashed back into the hall, and returned a few minutes, bride-to-be in tow.

"Gabby, I want you to meet Ginny.  She's Ron's little sister, and is the Ministry's youngest diplomat."

"Nice to meet you, Ginny," the young woman said with a smile, which Ginny was able to return.  Someone inside was calling Harry.

"I'll be right back, luv," he promised Gabrielle, before he dashed off.

"How did you and Harry meet?" Ginny asked curiously.  She wasn't from Hogwarts, and Ginny had never met the girl before, or even heard talk of her.

"Actually, strangely enough, through my cousin.  The two little prats had a bit of a duel, right in the middle of the Three Broomsticks one night.  After Stunning the two idiots to make them stop before they tore the place apart, I laid eyes on Harry, and was smitten, I guess.  Strange luck, I suppose.  If I hadn't met my cousin that night, I probably would never have met him," she said, with a fond smile.

"That's wonderful," Ginny said.

"Ginny, I'm not quite sure how to say this to you, but I understand what Harry is to you.  And I want you to know that I love him, and will do what I can to make him happy," she said softly, her eyes narrowing slightly.  Ginny froze.

"Of course you'll make him happy, he wouldn't be marrying you if you didn't.  And Harry is nothing more to me than an 'adopted' brother, someone I grew up with."

"Just…make sure that it stays that way, please," Gabrielle said, her voice taking a bit of hard tone, her eyes, which had been warm and friendly, becoming cold.  Slightly taken aback, Ginny just nodded.  At that moment, Harry returned, grapping his arm around Gabrielle.

"Excuse us, Ginny, but my future wife is needed inside," he said, with eyes only for Gabrielle.

"Of course," Ginny nodded.  After watching the happy couple walk inside, she drew in a shaky breath.  She walked slowly back into the ballroom, and listened for a few minutes as Harry started to make a speech, thanking everyone for coming.  As everyone's focus was on them, Ginny slipped around the back of the crowd, and ducked out of the room.

* * * * *

Rethinking Clarice's suggestion of relaxing for the evening, Ginny hurriedly exited the building, thinking that if she could return to her flat early enough, she'd be able to salvage what was left of the night, and try to forget everything that had happened.  And tomorrow, she had a pile of reports that she could bury herself in to help block out everything that she had tried to bury for so long.

"Ginny, wait!  Where are you going?" Hermione called out.

"I have to get back to the office," she called out, not stopping.  She felt a hand grabbing hers, so she stopped and turned.

"Don't go yet, Ginny.  Everyone was so happy to see you, they'll be disappointed that you're leaving so early."

"Hermione, I can't stay here.  I just…I need to go.  I came, isn't that enough?  Or is it absolutely necessary for me to stand around and gawk at the happy couple just a bit longer, long enough for the truth to sink in just a little more?" Ginny cried, her self-control cracking.

"It's important if you want to stay an important part of Harry's life.  Don't you want that?" Hermione asked.

"Part of his life?  Do you think I'm part of his life?  Is that what they call that now?  I'm just the little girl who used to follow him around like a puppy, the little girl who was afraid to speak to him because she was in awe of him.  I'm just that little girl, and anything and everything else that I've become is completely invisible to him!" Ginny yelled, her frustration building to the breaking point.

"Ginny…" Hermione said softly.

"Just go back in there and leave me alone.  You can't understand, you're just like him," she said. She glared at Hermione until the other girl reluctantly gave up and returned to the party.

"Well, well, well, Weasley, I didn't think you even knew how to raise your voice, let alone yell at Granger," a cool voice said from the shadows cast by the moonlight.

"Malfoy, what on earth are you doing here?" she demanded, recognizing the pale hair and eyes, and felt a fresh surge of anger spurred by embarrassment, thinking that such a little prat had heard her entire argument with Hermione.

"Just getting a bit of a free show, that's all," he said, shrugging.

"Oh, sod off Malfoy, and keep it to yourself," she cried, prepared to stalk off, before another thought stopped her in her tracks.  "What are you even doing here?  Harry hates you."

"Weasley, has anyone ever told you how astute you are?" he sneered.

"If you're here to do anything to Harry and ruin this night for him, you can just forget it, I won't let you in there," she stated boldly.

"You Griffyndor really baffle me, Weasley.  Wouldn't you want this night ruined for him, to pay him back for marrying another girl?  And yet, you're out here, threatening me, while he's inside, not even noticing that you're no longer there."

"Just get out of here, Malfoy."

"Not so diplomatic, Weasley.  And I was invited, so please let me pass," he said coolly, stepping out from underneath the shadow, his height towering over Ginny, his cold eyes staring her down as she stood in his path.  After an intense minute, he relaxed, his customary smirk returning to his face.

  "Surely one has a right to attend the engagement party of his cousin without being harassed by Ministry of Magic officials," he said smoothly, holding out an envelope as he breezed past.

"You are just as despicable now as you ever were, Malfoy.  Too bad people can't grow out of that," she snapped, and then stormed off.

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I'm uploading all four of the chapters I have written all at once, so I have no idea people are reacting to it.

I know, most people aren't so interested in politics, and I've made Ginny a political person, but just wait, it becomes an integral part of the plot.  The action happens soon, you'll see.


	3. Work Challenges

**Chapter 3:  Work Challenges******

As soon as she arrived home to her empty flat, she shed off her clothes, donned her most comfortable pajamas and curled up on her couch, smothering herself in a soft comforter.  Soft music playing in the background, she tried to focus her mind on the report in front of her, a briefing for her meeting the next morning.  Her mind kept drifting away, and she'd find herself staring out the window.  She was about to give up, when she heard a loud 'crack', and found Ron standing before her.

"Important work, Ginny?" he said, angrily, as he took in the scene before her.

"Ron, what you know about my work is surprisingly very little, and if you've come here to lecture me, I've already gotten it from Hermione and am not in the mood to hear it from you," Ginny practically snarled, snapping shut the file folder, and tossing it aside angrily.

"I'm just trying to figure out what has been happening to my little sister!  And what the hell did you say to Hermione?  I haven't seen her that miffed in the longest time, whatever it was had to be pretty bad.  Why did you leave?  You seemed to be having a good time," Ron said, his angry tone changing into concern, as he sat down on the coffee table in front of her.  Ginny met his eyes and saw how worried he was.

"I'm fine, Ron, really.  It's just…it's Harry, y'know?  It was just…hard to see, that's all," Ginny said, hoping that for once, her brother would understand.

"Yeah, I guess.  We never thought you'd even show.  Took a lot of guts, you know," Ron said with a slight smile.

"I don't know about guts.  But I had to go, I had to meet her.  And I had to see him with her.  And after I did, there was just…no reason for me to stay."  A moment of silence passed between the siblings.

"Ron, when are you going to tell Hermione the reason you've hated all of her boyfriends?" she asked, a sly smile lighting up her sad features.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ginny," he stammered, his face turning red.

"Don't be stupid, Ron.  Just tell her, and maybe the two of you can quit fighting all the time.  Everyone would really appreciate it," Ginny laughed.

"Shut it, Gin."

"Fine.  Look, I have a big meeting with the Minister tomorrow, about the new Cooperation Act that's in the works, and I'm not even close to being ready," Ginny said, nodding towards the pile of files.

"Yeah, I should get back to the party.  I just figured I should see how you were doing after Malfoy mentioned seeing you take off."

"Malfoy?  What is all this about him being Gabrielle's cousin?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing as she remembered their encounter.

"Just that.  She's his cousin.  Very strange, I'm pretty sure that Harry isn't too pleased about it all, but is willing to overlook that flaw.  He's as arrogant as ever, and made some comment about screaming Weasleys.  Stupid git," Ron muttered.

"You'd think the fall of his father would have brought him back down to earth, but apparently, that kind of arrogance never fades," Ginny said, shaking her head.  With that, her brother gave her a quick hug, and with a crack, Disapparated, leaving her alone in her empty flat.

* * * * *

Clarice watched from her desk, amused, as Ginny Weasley went flying past her, practically running into the office.  Dressed professionally in her black skirt and white blouse, she was probably the only woman that Clarice knew that had perfected the art of running because she was late, and putting on her high heels because she was wasn't ready for the appointment she was late for.

"Ginny, stop rushing, you have twenty minutes.  I just got a memo from the Minister, he's running behind," Clarice called, leaning over her desk as she watched Ginny dash around her office, collecting the materials she needed for her meeting.

"I know!  I got it, too," she called, out of breath.

"Then why the rush?" Clarice demanded.  With that, Ginny came stumbling out of her office, donning a the black blazer that complete her suit, her hands attempting to twist her hair into a knot at the back of her head, an extra hair pin sticking out of her mouth.  Her answer was a series of muffled sounds, as she tried to speak without dropping the hairpin.  Finally satisfied with the position of the knot, she secured it, and was free to speak.

"I got an owl from David Josef, from the German Ministry.  I have a meeting with his consul to arrange another meeting.  Don't you see, Clarice?  Germany is one of the countries holding out on signing this act, if I can just meet with their Minister, I know I can make him see why it's so necessary," she said, buttoning the jacket, surveying her appearance in the mirror behind Clarice's desk, before dashing back into the office, grabbing a file.

"But you're meeting our Minister in twenty minutes," Clarice called as Ginny ran for the door.

"That's why I need to hurry!" she called over her shoulder.  Rolling her eyes, Clarice returned to the stack of post that was waiting for her to read.  She quickly busied herself, and barely noticed, half an hour later, when Ginny was running past her again.

"Successful?" she called out, not glancing up from the schedule she was drafting.

"Pencil in the Minister from Germany for next Thursday, 10 in the morning, please, Clarice.  I don't think that we're going to have any more problems with Germany, Clarice!  Have you heard from the Minister yet?  I need to give him the good news," she called, desperately searching for the file that contained the list of names in support of the new Cooperation pact.

"Uh, Ginny, she's been waiting in your office for about ten minutes now," Clarice said, catching the elderly man's smile, from where he was sitting, watching her race around the small room.  Ginny stopped, startled, before turning to face him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fudge, it's been incredibly hectic around here in the past few days," she said, immediately regaining her composure, and sitting herself down behind her desk.  Clarice, bless her, had the appropriate file placed right in the center of the desk.

"So I've heard, Virginia.  I'm glad to see that you've been successfully wearing down the opposition to our proposed Cooperation pact.  Where do we stand at the moment?" he asked, smiling gently.  After the fall of the Dark Lord, Cornelius Fudge had certainly mellowed out quite nicely, after almost six years of relative peace in the wizarding community.

"We have eight, sir.  So far, we have eight out of fifteen, and I'm sure that we will have Germany.  I have a meeting with their Minister for Magic on Thursday, but his consul was pretty optimistic that he would support us," Ginny said, calmly retelling her success, while her insides were still dancing around with the pleasure she felt.  It had been a hard fight to get the consul to even meet with her, and even then, it had taken her twenty minutes to break through to him why this was so important.

"That's fantastic, Virginia.  You have definitely been showing your talents as we work to get this deal ratified by all the countries.  After our experience with the Dark Lord, it is important for all countries to join together to put down the last remaining supporters of the Dark Arts.  Eight out of fifteen.  Last week, we only had five!" he exclaimed.

"It's been a very busy week," she restated.

"So it has.  Now, Virginia, you've been making fantastic progress, that is easy to see.  However, I do have a favor I need to ask you.  While you've been gathering international support for this pact, I'm afraid that a lot of the support we have within the country has begun to fade."

"Do you have any names of those who are actively working against you on this?" Ginny asked, frowning slightly.

"Of course, my dear.  Now, this is what I need of you.  I need you, with your energy and youth, to go out there, and convince one man why this is important to sign.  No one else has been successful, but I have a feeling that you're the best person for the job," he said.  Ginny's eyes narrowed suspiciously.  Fudge never complimented anyone unless he was after something; his pride was far too inflated to allow that.  Whatever he was going to ask was going to be huge.

"Just one person can change the entire population's opinion?" she asked.

"Well, he's a rather influential person.  Ginny, I want you to focus on this, one hundred percent.  Do whatever you have to do to make him support this."

"Who is it?"

"Draco Malfoy."


	4. Broken Facade

**Chapter 4:  Broken Facade******

"Draco Malfoy?  That's impossible!"

"Virginia, please, listen to reason."

"I'm sorry, Minister, with all due respect, why would you seek approval from that evil, slimy little prat?  Are you forgetting who his father was?  Lucius Malfoy, You-Know-Who's right had man!  Why on earth do you even need his approval?  He's nothing in the wizarding world, any power he had died with his father."

"Virginia, calm down.  Yes, his father was a prominent supporter of the Dark Arts.  However, Draco Malfoy did not follow in his footsteps, and is a very successful property owner.  Virginia, he now owns the property that the Durmstrang school sits on.  Bulgaria's Ministry has been actively refusing any form of cooperation, but if we could get Malfoy to support us, Bulgaria would have to cave under his influence."

"We have already talked about this.  Bulgaria is a lost cause, they are never going to support this, it would be political suicide for their Minister.  There are just too many supporters of the Dark Arts in that country.  We need to focus on the countries closest to it, get them on our side, so that it will have to cave under the pressure.  One man cannot possibly make a difference, especially not an egotistical, maniacal, arrogant Dark wizard like Draco Malfoy."

"Virginia."

"No, Minister.  He's a Dark wizard!  By making a deal with him, you are undermining everything that this pact stands for, and I refuse to have any part of it.  It's insulting, you know that?  To think you need a person like that to support it.  We can do this without the likes of him," she raged, thoroughly upset.  She was pacing around her small office, her face flushed, her arms waving.  When Ginny Weasley got started on a rant, it was very difficult for her to stop.  The thought that she was raging at the Minister of Magic didn't even cross her mind; that she could be fired for crossing him.

"And there is the fact that you hate him, was in a rival house at Hogwarts, and he is someone who can break apart that lovely little diplomatic façade that you've created, because he makes you so angry, you loose your temper whenever he is around, and you hate that almost as much as you hate him," a cool voice said, from the doorway.  Cornelius Fudge has stood up, and was walking over to the tall man leaning lazily against the doorframe.  Ginny froze, her eyes wide, feeling her face beginning to burn.  Turning slowly around, she forced herself to remain calm and let her experience born of three years working as a consul take over.

"Mr. Malfoy, it's nice to see you.  Why don't you come in and sit down," she said brightly, unable to look at his face, knowing that his terrible smirk would be there.


	5. Ice Queen

Standard Disclaimer still applies. ************************************************ Chapter 5: Ice Queen 

She amused him.  A lot.  Catching a good five minutes of her impassioned ranting about why he was the scum of the earth and never should be trusted, she definitely amused him.  Twice within a twenty-four hour period, he had caught a glimpse of her fuming mad; an explosive kind of temper you could tell was just boiling up inside her.

And now that she was aware of his presence, aware of the importance he was going to play to her newest goal, all of the boiling temper was instantly turned to ice.  She was calm, cool, collected, and definitely cold to him.  Within an instant, she had transformed into the smooth, sophisticated persona that had earned her the reputation of being the most effective negotiator that the Ministry had ever known.

She definitely amused him.

After asking him to sit down, she had excused herself and Cornelius Fudge, practically pulling the old man with her.  She hadn't thought to close the door, so Draco allowed himself a moment to watch her as she tore into the man who held the highest title in the wizarding world.  As he surveyed her, he was hard pressed to compare the woman before him to the girl he remembered from Hogwarts.  She had grown up, and become quite a woman.

She was still very small, he noted.  She couldn't have been more that level with his shoulders, and her features reflecting how slight she was.  She would have looked delicate and fragile, especially dressed in her business suit, with her hair tied back, but the way that she was lecturing the Minister ruined any possibility of that description.  Her hair, which was usually tucked neatly away in her standard knot, was coming loose, freeing wisps to hang around her face and neck, which she batted away without thinking.  Altogether, the youngest Weasley had grown into a fine looking woman, who was known by his informants as someone who was cool as ice, and yet here she was, ranting with a fire that had not only melted her façade, but burned it away.

After a few more minutes of their hushed arguing, she came back into the office, instantly turning back into the Ice Queen.

"Mr. Malfoy, the Minister here has informed me that you are interested in learning more about the pact that we are attempting to create between international wizarding ministries, before you choose whether or not to endorse it.  I would be more than happy to meet with you at some point later in the week to discuss this further," she said, calmly sitting down, as if he had never walked in on her argument with Fudge; as if he had not heard her repeated insults to his character.  Her lack of contrition about the whole scene slightly annoyed him; it was obvious she was not willing to admit what a powerful man he was, or acknowledge how much respect he deserved.

"I would certainly enjoy that, Ms. Weasley.  Would 10 o'clock on Thursday suit you?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm afraid I already have an appointment that day," she said, and then there was silence.

"I am afraid that this is the only time I have open for the recent future.  Oh wait; I do have something available in January the 12th.  Would have be better for you?" he asked, the cold silver in his eyes glinting dangerously.  He knew very well that was too late.

"At that point in time, Mr. Malfoy, our conversation would serve no purpose.  Would ten-thirty be acceptable?" she asked, forcing herself not to reach out and slap that look off his face.

"I suppose it will have to do, Ms. Weasley.  Until then," he said, and gracefully exited the office.

Walking away, he could hear their voices rise again, the yelling following him down the hall.  He chuckled.  He knew how much Fudge needed this, knew how much his acceptance of this Cooperation act would mean, how much Fudge's future career was riding on it.  And Fudge was sending in his best, knowing how much of a challenge Draco Malfoy was going to be.

And he, by all means, was unwilling to let them down. A challenge was what they wanted, and a challenge was what they were going to get.

* * * * *

"Clarice, I need you to drop everything else you're doing, and prepare a profile on Draco Malfoy for me," Ginny said, leaving her office later that afternoon.  Clarice had noticed that after Draco Malfoy and the Minister had both left, Ginny had slammed the door shut and hadn't been seen in over two hours.  This was the first time that she had emerged all afternoon.

"I think I'll be able to do that.  When would you like it by?" she had asked.

"As soon as possible.  The Minister just asked me to go after Bulgaria via a certain Draco Malfoy.  I'm meeting with him at ten thirty on Thursday, right after the German Minister.  It's cutting it a little close, but Mr. Malfoy was very insistent that it was the only time he could make it," Ginny said, pacing around in front of Clarice's desk.  She was obviously upset, something that Clarice hardly ever saw.  The only time the young woman wasn't completely composed was when she was late or angry.

And now, the day before her meetings, Ginny Weasley was sitting at her desk, well past midnight, staring down at the file that Clarice had prepared for her, attempting to figure out what card she could play to get Draco Malfoy on their side.  Her thoughts were distracted and she was exhausted, having spent the past three nights doing exactly the same thing.

In the silence of the office, which was completely empty except for her, her mind kept wandering back to the last encounter she had had with him.

 _And there is the fact that you hate him, was in a rival house at Hogwarts, and he is someone who can break apart that lovely little diplomatic façade that you've created, because he makes you so angry, you loose your temper whenever he is around, and you hate that almost as much as you hate him_, he had said.  Just thinking about his words made her blood boil, partly because his tone was so irritating, but mostly because he was completely right.  There were a few times in her life when she successfully lost her temper, and most of those incidences were a direct result of something that Draco Malfoy had said.  The night of Harry's engagement party, after her spat with Hermione had made her even more susceptible to her temper.

Sighing, trying to expel the memory that night from her mind, she flipped through the pages that Clarice had prepared.  She was very thorough, Ginny noticed, but there were a few holes that she would have liked to see filled.  Pulling out a small piece of parchment paper and her quill pen, she made some notes about further information she would need.  _Like what happened to him after he left Hogwarts, what role he played in the war against You-Know-Who, what side he was on, what has been doing since then_, she thought to herself.  Clarice had managed to compile a list of his assets and property holdings, and from that list, it was apparent why Fudge felt that he was so important to winning Bulgaria over.  _The man practically owns the whole damn country_, she scoffed silently.

A soft rapping at the door startled her, and she nearly jumped out of her chair.  Taking a few quick breaths to calm herself down, she called out for the visitor to come in.

"Harry?  What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised as the tall, dark-haired man stepped into the room.

"Hey, Ginny.  I've been trying to track you down for a few hours now.  I tried your flat, our parents place…Asked Ron and Hermione if they knew where to find you.  Finally, I thought of Clarice, and she suggested that I check here.  Should have known you'd still be at work," he said, smiling lightly, as he sat down in a chair across from her.

"Tomorrow's going to be a busy day," she answered simply, carefully avoiding his eyes, shyness that she had tried to banish taking over her body.

"So I hear.  I just found out about the Cooperation thing that you and Fudge are working on.  I think that's brilliant, Gin, I really do."

"Yeah, we're all really excited about it.  Just think, fifteen of the most influential international wizarding ministries coming together to fight the last remaining supporters of the Dark Arts.  There's still quite a few of them out there, you know," she said, smiling.  Harry chuckled.

"Of course, I know that Ginny.  It's my job to know that."

"Well, pardon me, Mr. I'm-a-big-shot-Auror.  Us ordinary wizards do what we can to stay on top of things," she teased.  Harry smiled, and a moment of silence fell over them.

"Ginny, I know that you and Fudge are trying to go after Bulgaria for this deal," Harry said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"How did you know that?" Ginny asked, surprised.

"It's my job to know these things.  Look Ginny, there's not a lot I can say, but please…just be careful.  Do what you have to do, but if you get a bad feeling from whoever you're talking to or doing whatever it is you do, listen to that feeling and walk away from it," Harry said, seriously.

"Harry, I can't just give up if I get a bad feeling, this is far too important, don't you think?"

"I understand Ginny.  Just…be really careful, especially around Malfoy."

"Harry, don't worry about me.  I'm a grown-up now, and I don't need you or any of my other brothers looking out for me.  It's just politics, Harry, it's not dangerous," Ginny said, slightly irritated by his ominous warnings.  As if she didn't know well enough what Malfoys were capable of.

"Okay.  I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting in over your head, you know."

"I appreciate your concern.  But, Mr. Potter, I have to admit; I'm a little baffled.  Aren't you marrying the illustrious Mr. Malfoy's cousin?" Ginny asked with a sly smile.

"That's different, Ginny.  You don't know anything about that or about Gabrielle!" Harry said, his tone becoming defensive.  _Ooh, that's a bit of touchy subject_, Ginny thought to herself.

"You're right, I don't.  I've only just met her.  Imagine my surprise, learning you were engaged, Harry!  Because the last I heard from you, you were far too busy to deal with relationships, and women, and your first priority was putting down what was left of You-Know-Who's supporters!  At least that's what you said when you told me that you didn't want to see me anymore," Ginny cried, her anger getting the better of her.  She watched his expression change, and his eyes become cold.

"I wasn't the only one who had different priorities, Ginny.  I tried to make things right with you, but you were always so bloody busy with this stupid job.  So I stopped waiting around for you Ginny.  You can't hold that against me!"

"You?  Waiting around for me?  You're so blind, Harry!" she yelled.

"Fine.  Look, I just wanted to make sure you were aware that there is a potential risk getting involved with anyone from Bulgaria, and I want you to be careful.  But I'm sorry I even came," he said, standing up.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Potter, but if you'll kindly excuse me, I have work to take care of," Ginny said coldly, and turned her attention back to her folder, turning on the ice almost instantly.  He paused at the door, and she could feel him staring at her.  After a few minutes, he sighed and left her office, slamming the door lightly behind him.

As soon as she was certain that he was gone, she buried her face in her hands, and groaned.  It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

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**Thanks to those who have offered a review to my story, that was surprising and much appreciated.**

**Hope you've like what I've offered of this story so far.  I just had to throw in some Ginny/Harry drama, couldn't resist.  For more of the history between these two, stay tuned for future chapters (and more Draco!).**


	6. When Diplomacy Fails

Standard Disclaimer still applies. **************************************************** Chapter 4: When Diplomacy Fails 

Ginny dodged through the crowd of regulars that were packed into the Leaky Cauldron.  Waving at a friend behind the country, she ducked as quickly as she could out back, to the stone wall, pulling out her wand, preparing to enter Diagon Alley.  She was already late and it was only her first appointment of the day.  Her head down, attempting to read the address that she was supposed to meet the German consul, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings when she suddenly ran into another person.

"Pardon me, I really wasn't watching where I was going.  I'm so sorry," Ginny said, distractedly as she knelt down, attempting to gather up the handful of papers that had scattered upon impact.  As an after thought, she surveyed the damp grass, and knew that was going to have to go through the rest of the day with mud stains on her knees.  _Oh well, no time to worry about that now_, she thought, brushing the thought aside.  When she had a spare moment, she'd pull out her wand to fix the problem.

"In a hurry, Ginny?" a rather cool female voice asked.  Looking up and noticing who was speaking to her for the first time, she groaned inwardly as she recognized Gabrielle, Harry's fiancée.

"I'm afraid I'm late already," Ginny said, stepping over, reaching up with her wand, preparing to tap the bricks.

"Ginny, I heard that Harry stopped by your office late last night," Gabrielle, stepped just in front of Ginny, so as to bar her way through to Diagon Alley.

"What?  Oh yeah, he passing on some ominous warning about Bulgaria," Ginny said, tapping her wand impatiently against her leg.

"Look, Ginny, I know there's this weird two-date history with you and Harry, and I just to let you know that I'm okay with that.  I'm not worried about you at all, because after all, I do have his ring on my finger."

"I'm glad you're okay with what's happened in the past, Gabrielle.  And now that we've got that out of the way, if you'll excuse me, I really need to be going," Ginny said, exasperated.  She made a move to take a step around Gabrielle, when the other woman again stepped in front of her.  Ginny, realizing that this nuisance wasn't going to give in, looked up at the other's woman's face, and saw the hard glint in her eyes.

"And I know that you are like a little sister to Harry, and how important it is to him that we become friends and that is fine.  Just make sure that there will be no more late night visits from him to your office, Ginny, and you and I will get along just fine," she said, her tone becoming menacing.   _Well, she's related to Malfoy after all.  Being a conniving little git must come with the territory_, Ginny thought.

"Then consider us the best of friends, as I know for a fact that Harry will never be stopping by my office ever again," Ginny said brightly, albeit through gritted teeth.  Gabrielle looked startled by Ginny's reaction, and with that, Ginny stepped around her, and proceeded into Diagon Alley.

Checking the clock in the square as she dashed by, she saw that she was already ten minutes late.  _Bloody hell, I have twenty minutes to meet with the consul before my meeting with Malfoy._  Lack of sleep and the stress of her tardiness wreaking havoc on her mood already, Ginny wondering in passing what her temperament would be like at the end of it.

* * * * *

Draco Malfoy irritably noted that Ms. Virginia Weasley was officially seventeen minutes late for their appointment.  Being a man who was self-admittedly far to arrogant to wait for anyone, he was surprised at his own reluctance to just leave, and let the girl handle her own mess with Bulgaria.  _But there is something about her that you find fascinating_, a voice from the back on his mind explained.  Perhaps it was all of that fire she had, buried under carefully maintained layers of ice.  He figured it would be quite the show when she finally let it all loose on the world.  Shrugging off the thought with a slight chuckle, he glanced again at the clock, and noted that another minute had passed.

And with that observation brought a very harried-looking Weasley into the posh coffee shop they had arranged to meet at.  Draco watched carefully as came crashing through the door and hurriedly scanned the room.  Watching out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her spot him, and suddenly all the rush seemed to melt away and she was walking, all relaxed and easy steps, as if it was of no consequence to her that she had kept him waiting.  _Oh, she is good at this_, he thought.

He ran his eyes over her, taking in her outward appearance, knowing that any information he could glean would help him.  The beautiful art of diplomacy was quite a choreographed dance, and by keeping him waiting on her (and him allowing himself to wait for her) had put her at an advantage.

She had a dark stain on her knees, as though she had been kneeling the mud.  Her suit, he noticed, was black again, this time her skirt falling just above the knee, and managed to accent her small frame, creating sleek lines and an air of sophistication he was surprised to see in a Weasley.  But, the dark circles marring her otherwise porcelain face, and the loose strands of hair escaping the tight knot at the back of her head spoke of the type of morning she had been having: she was obviously edgy, tired and stressed.  And that, he noted triumphantly, was his vantage point.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy.  I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," she said smoothly, sitting down.

"By all means, Ms. Weasley, these things do happen," he answered.

"Alright then, if we could begin, I have here a copy of the agreement for you to look over, and if you have any specific questions, I think that would be the best place to start," she said, her tone professional and slightly curt.  _Oh, she's a determined little woman,_ he thought.  Most would waste time in idle chitchat, attempting to make the situation seem more social, less confrontational.  She was taking charge, and if he didn't act quickly, he would be lost to her obvious skill.  _And where's the challenge in that?_

"Ms. Weasley, I have to admit, I am rather curious.  How did a girl like you get involved in the world of Ministry politics?" he asked, suddenly.  Receiving the desire reaction, as she frowned, put off by his unexpected question.

"If you grew up in the house I did, it's practically in your blood.  Now, if you could be please divert your attention to concession number 8, this is where Bulgaria would be directly affected—"

"—Yes, I understand you are connected through your family, but how did you personally become involved?  It's very rare for one to find a consul as young as you are," he persisted, interrupting her.  He quelled an urge to smile as he noticed that her face was slowly beginning to grow flush.

"I was Minister Fudge's secretary starting the summer after I left Hogwarts.  My job consisted mainly of contacting important members in the community regarding specific decrees or initiatives that he was introducing.  I apparently approved to be fairly persuasive, and the next thing I know, I was promoted.  Does that answer satisfy your curiosity, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, forcing a smile.

"Yes it does."

"Excellent.  Now, about concession 8—"

"You know, it was such as shame that you had to duck out of Harry and Gabrielle's party so early, you missed quite the speech by the infallible hero."  She visibly tensed, and her eyes narrowed slights.  _Oh yes, that was definitely the card to play_, he thought triumphantly.  He'd have to remember that for future reference.

"Yes, it was a shame, but I had some paperwork to care of."

"Ah, paperwork.  Yes, it's quite annoying how often that seems to interfere with the things that we would most like to do.  Speaking of which, I am terribly sorry, but as much as I would love to continue with this discussion, but I have quite the pile of my own paperwork waiting for me, and an appointment that I have to keep," he said, apologetically, standing up.  She just stared up at him, startled.  He was about to step away from the table, when, right on cue, she was standing in front of him.

"Malfoy, you better not think you're leaving without even glancing at the agreement," she hissed, all pretenses of diplomacy being forgotten.

"If you had been on time, this would not have been a problem," he answered back smugly.

"And if you hadn't wasted time with trivial questions, and actually focused on the subject at hand, we could have at least made some headway," she shot back.

"Terribly sorry.  Please let me know how this little deal goes for you.  Be interesting to know if it actually passes."

"Oh no you don't, Malfoy.  Okay, new deal.  Why don't we just shove protocol aside and agree on the fact that it is impossible for us to do this successfully through diplomatic means.  Why don't we acknowledge the fact that we cannot stand each other and would rather be anywhere else in the world then in this spot, right now, together, and discussing a deal that you are so against, unless you can find something in here for yourself.  There's a reason you're here, you have some sort of motive, so why don't you stop playing with me, pull your head out of your arse, and discuss this with me like an intelligent human, rather than trying to play your sly Slytherin games with me," she raged while miraculously keeping her voice low enough not to disturb those around her.

"Weasley, if Fudge could only see you now, I know there'd be no doubt in his mind why he hired you."

"Shut up, Malfoy and sit down, because we are not finished here," she said coolly, evenly and with a great deal of authority.

"As far as I'm concerned, we are finished.  Because as it stands, that deal will never, under any circumstances, be signed by Bulgaria, which is something that I have been trying to inform your office since the time it was first drafted.  Your complete ignorance about the culture of Bulgaria's wizarding community is what is holding this back, not some evil politician as you assume that I am.  If you would like to know why, feel free to contact me so that we can discuss this at a later date, but as it stands now, I have an appointment to keep.  Good day," he said, and turning walking away.

He left a Ginny Weasley sitting along at the table, stunned into silence.

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Thanks to everyone who's reading, and especially those who have reviewed my story.  I really appreciated it.

**Nutsaboutremus**:  I completely understand the problem with introducing the whole "Harry/Ginny history-angst" into the story, but it's really necessary. It won't become an integral part to the plot, but its soooooo important (later on) in understand the person that Ginny is right now, and why she is the way she is.  As for Gabrielle…well, the reason she's so two-faced has an ulterior motive that really has nothing to do with Harry, but that will come with time. 

And for anyone who's wondering just WHAT is going one with Draco's character, it will all be revealed in due course.

Thanks for reading!!


	7. Noble Scheming

Thanks again to those who have reviewed.  I love the comments, and seriously take them into consideration when I'm writing.  Hope you enjoy the chapter.  More to come soon.

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Chapter 7:  Noble Scheming 

Draco entered his study, eager to call an end to the long day, and relax for a few moments.  Slightly startled, but unwilling to show it, he groaned when he saw his cousin's tearful face, waiting for him.

"Gabrielle, what is it?" he asked, his tone slightly bored.

"Draco, I just can't do this anymore.  It's so wrong, and if Harry find out, he's going to think I'm this awful, manically jealous person and I couldn't take it if he thought of me that way!" she wailed tearfully.  Sighing, resigned to the fact that he was going to have to deal with her uncertainty, he pushed aside his annoyance at intrusion on his time to relax, and decided to play the caring cousin.

"Gabrielle, you have to trust me on this," he said, sitting down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder.  "It's working, you're doing very well.  I know how hard this is on you, but when I agreed to help you, you said that it was all worth it."

"It is!  Harry is!  But there has to be another way!  Ginny has nothing to do with this, it's not fair to bring her in," she sniffed.

"She's too good, Gabrielle.  If I give her twenty minutes with Bulgaria's Minister, he'll be breaking his quill trying to sign the deal fast enough.  We can't let that happen, not the way it stands."

"No, we can't."

"Do you want your family to be branded as criminals?  Do you want your future husband to have to choose between his duties as an Auror and self-sworn enemy to the Dark Arts, and his wife's family?"

"Of course I don't want that to happen!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.  "Sometimes I think it would be better if I could just tell him.  You know, he loves me, maybe that would be enough.  He's always talking about how love is unconditional, and that nothing could ever change the way he feels about me.  And here I am, doing whatever I can to _lie_ to him!"

"You aren't lying to him; Gabrielle.  I keep telling you this.  I am going to do everything I can to make sure that this deal does not get signed the way that it's written now.  It's going to work out for the best."

"Maybe I should just end it all.  He won't be able to forgive me when he finds out what my parents did.  We shouldn't be together, this is all a big mistake!" she was crying again.  In a swift moment, Draco placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to face him.  Staring down at her with his serious gray eyes, her tears suddenly dissipated.

"Gabrielle, _you are not your family_.  You taught me that.  Don't forget it yourself.  Let me handle this, I promise you it will work out for the best.  I'm going to see you smiling on your wedding day, even if you are marrying that pious little git."  With that, she giggled slightly.

"You promised you'd be nice to him.  I don't understand why you two hate each other so much," she said, trying to look reproachful.

"You'd hate him too if you went to school with him," Draco muttered.

"Draco!"

"Okay, I'll be nice.  Now, why don't you go clean yourself up, and surprise that fiancé of yours with dinner, and let me handle the details?" he suggested with a slight smile.  He had a lot work to do.

"Now that is the best idea you've had all week," she said with a weak smile.

* * * * *

After Gabrielle had gone home, leaving him alone with his thoughts, his study no longer seemed appealing to him.  Grabbing his robe, he stormed out of his house, needing to work out his thoughts while prowling over the grounds of his estate.  The surrounding forest and rolling hills surrounding the isolated location made it the perfect place for him to brood.  If there was one thing that he liked better than scheming, it was brooding.

He was satisfied with the way that their plan was working out.  But he was very worried about the toll that it was taking on Gabrielle.  She was incapable of deceit, no matter how small nor how noble the purpose.  Which was why she had come to him when she found out about Virginia Weasley's proposed new International Cooperation Act for the Removal of All Dark Arts, she had come running to him.

_It was so unfair_, he thought.  A girl like that, born into the family she was.  Sweet, innocent Gabrielle, stuck in a family that were obsessed with the Dark Arts.  Luckily for her, her parents found her honesty and unwillingness to experiment with power that they found intoxicating very endearing.  She wasn't an outcast; she was just seen as different.  _And she had saved his life._

If Bulgaria signed this deal, her parents would be branded as criminals, and Gabrielle would be torn apart.  The infallible Harry Potter, as much as Draco found it appalling, was the love of her life.  He would be among the groups of people condemning her family.  She would have to choose: Harry or her family.  Her family wasn't evil, not in the same sense as many of the Dark wizards in Britain, but if that deal signed, that's how they would be seen.

So she'd come running to him, the only one she thought could help her.  And he came up with a plan, a way to stop her world from falling apart.  Because she was sweet and innocent.  Because she saved his life.

He had to stop the Weasley girl from speaking directly to Skrumpt, the Bulgarian Minister for Magic.  She'd be able to convince the bleeding moron to sign the deal within minutes.  With all the influence Draco had in Bulgaria, he knew that Fudge would want to get his support, as long as he thought that Bulgaria was going to be a problem.  And who better to send after him, then Virginia Weasley?  And Draco needed her as distracted as possible, so that when he started making suggestions about the changes that were needed to protect Gabrielle's family, she wouldn't oppose.

And it was working.  _But for how long_, he asked himself.  It was only a matter of time before Gabrielle's uncharacteristic displays of jealousy got back to Potter.  Plus, the strain was starting to get to her, and he wouldn't allow her to crack.  He needed a new game plan, a way to take Gabrielle completely out of the occasion.

Staring off, seeing the small range of hills that someone people mistakenly call mountains, due to the snow that could be seen on their tops year round, he was suddenly struck with inspiration.

Within a few minutes, he had retrieved parchment and quill, and carefully scrawled his note.  Attaching it to his owl, and watching her fly off, he smiled.  Things were back on track.

* * * * *

Ginny was storming angrily out of her office, dwelling on the reprimand that Fudge had just given her for what had happened with Malfoy, when an owl landed before her.  Its large eyes stared up at her expectantly.  Feeling baffled, she took the letter it was carrying.  It didn't fly away immediately, obviously awaiting her response.  Frowning, she opened the letter.

_Aren't you even going to take the bait?_

                             _-D. Malfoy_

Thinking cautiously for a few moments, the memories of Fudge's reprimand fresh on her mind, she grabbed a quill off of Clarice's desk, and scrawled her answer.

_Fine, I'll bite.  Contact my assistant to reschedule._

_                             -V. W._

The answer was very well constructed, she thought, as it put the responsibility on Malfoy to reschedule, allowing her the opportunity for a power play.  _Merlin knows, I need to, after what happened this morning_, she sighed.  Attaching the owl the letter, she watched the bird fly off, wondering what type of response she would get.

* * * * *

Feeling the weight of her day come crashing down around her, Ginny practically crawled into her flat, exhausted.  Her feet were stiff from the bloody heels she foolishly insisted on wearing (being the only women in her field, as well as only just over five feet, made working with men who were so much taller than her rather intimidating), she felt constrained in her fitted suit, and she wanted burn her nylons so she'd never have to wear them again.  After throwing down her files carelessly, she walked straight into her washroom, dropping articles of her clothing as she walked.

Stepping into the shower, Ginny closed her eyes as she allowed the hot water to ease away the stress of the day.  Taking her time, she washed her hair, luxuriating in the smell of her shampoo, wishing she could wash away the memory of the day with the sweet-scented suds.

Emerging from the steamy bathroom, towel drying her hair, and wearing her cream-colored silk nightgown.  She chuckled softly, thinking of what her mother's reaction to that would be.  It fell above her knees, and with the tiny straps the only thing holding it on, no doubt her mother would have found it scandalous.  It was a guilty pleasure, the cut of it allowed her to feel her long hair fall down her back, something that the knot she generally wore it in did not allow for.

After brushing out her hair, and drying it with her wand and a simple charm, she glanced loathingly at the pile of folders awaiting her on her desk.  Deciding to pick on and flip through it from the comfort of her bed, she walked over to her desk.

Frowning, she noticed one that she had never noticed before.  Scrawled in larges letters across the front was the word 'Bulgaria'.  Suspiciously, she reached out for it.  _That is not Clarice's writing_, she thought.  As her fingers touched it, she felt the floor beneath her slip away, and the image of her comfortable flat dissipated before her eyes, and then all she could see was darkness.

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Hope this helps people to understand a little bit more Gabrielle's role in this, for those of you who were worried.  I wouldn't stick our Harry Potter with a scheming little brat!

I just have a question.  I know I haven't really gone in depth into Draco's character (that should be coming in the next chapter or so), but do you think that I've made him too altruistic?  That wasn't my intention, and if he's coming off too "reformed evil guy", let me know so I can fix it.  

Thanks for reading.


	8. Exposure

This was a difficult chapter to write, so I hope you like it.  I'd really love some criticisms about how to perhaps change it, make it better, so if you have any suggestions, feel free.

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Chapter 8: Exposure 

Blinking a few times, Ginny's eyes quickly scanned her surroundings.  She was suddenly cold, as a frigid breeze through her hair, sending it into wild disarray.  From what she could make out from the darkness, she was standing in some sort of forest.  Thinking quickly, she assumed that the folder that had appeared on her desk was a Portkey and it had brought her to whoever had left it there.

Cursing, she realized that she did not have her wand with her.  She was stranded, and helpless.  She heard a noise behind her, and let out a shriek as she felt an arm brush her shoulder.  Swinging her arms, she punched at whatever it was behind her, and pulled away, prepared to run.  The arm shot back, grabbing her wrist, pulling her back.  She was about to scream again when her attacker's hand roughly covered her mouth.

"Don't scream, Weasley.  You'll let everyone in Bulgaria know you're here," a cool voice whispered, beside her ear.  Her eyes widened in shock.  Shoving the man's grip on her aside, she turned around, and saw who the voice belonged to.  _Malfoy_.

"What the hell is going on, Malfoy?" she spat, her eyes blazing with her fury.

"You said you were going to take the bait.  Here you go, Weasley.  How else are you going to learn why you and Fudge are so wrong about them unless you see the Bulgarians for yourself?" he asked, his eyes glinting dangerously.  For a split second, she stared at him in shock.

But that didn't last.  The next thing he knew, she reached out and pushed him backwards with a lot more force than a woman her size should reasonably have.

"You arrogant little git!  How dare you just…Portkey me here without consulting me, without my permission!" she cried, as she pushed him again before he could gain his balance.  He tumbled over, more shocked than anything.  She spun away from him in anger, and began pacing around the small clearing, obviously enraged.

_She's fascinating_, he couldn't help but think, watching her as she worked through her anger.  The clouds covering the moon had cleared, lighting the area with a pale light.  Her hair, which was down for once, was blowing about the wind, mirroring her wild anger.   The pale nightshirt she was wearing gave her skin an ethereal pale look, more so than usual.  Draco blinked a few times, trying to figure out why she suddenly seemed so beautiful to him.  He tried to look away, to shake the sight of her, but it was impossible.  He was staring at her.

"Okay, Malfoy, what's your plan?  Let's do what you brought me here to do, so I can get back to London.  Since I don't have my wand with me, I'm holding you fully responsible for my return," she stated, clearly over her temper tantrum.  It was startling how fast she could go from boiling temper to the cool negotiator that she was known for being.

"There are certain things you need to understand about Bulgaria before you proceed with this deal that you're obsessed with.  You're here so I can show you what you need to understand," he said, standing up, brushing the dirt from his robe.

"You couldn't have picked a more convenient time, could you?  Inconsiderate prat, I'm not even bloody dressed," she said, hugging herself against the chill.  Draco regarded her for a moment, as if wrestling with something.  Then he pulled off his black robe and tossed to her.

"Here, put this on, then," he said, as he started walking away.  She was surprised.

"Aren't you going to have to burn it now that a Weasley's touched it?" she asked snidely, wrapping the robe around her.  It was warm from Draco's body, and ridiculously long for her.  As she followed warily behind him, she was smugly pleased to see the ends dragging along the ground.

"It's either that, or your shivering will alert everyone that you're here.  They aren't too fond of strangers in these parts, especially strangers from the Ministry," he said, as he walked expertly down a path.  Ginny trailed behind, stumbling over the rough path, hindered by the darkness and the fact that her feet were bare.

"Great, Malfoy.  I didn't think you were out to get me killed," she muttered grumpily as another stone bit into the bottom of her foot.

"You agreed to this.  And I am shocked, what happened to that lovely little icy diplomat I met a few days ago in her office?  The one who was so diplomatic she was willing to at least play nice to someone she clearly hates?"

"People who kidnap me right out of my own flat don't deserve diplomacy—" Her curt reply was cut short by her tiny yelp of pain as tripped over an exposed tree root.  She landed hard on her knees.  Grunting slightly, she stood up gingerly and surveyed the damage.  Her knee had been scrapped pretty badly, and was bleeding.

"If you keep holding us up, we're going to be late, and we'll have to come back again tomorrow night," Draco said, after noticing that she wasn't right behind him.

"Sod off, Malfoy.  A warning about maybe needing shoes would have been helpful, you know.  Then we wouldn't have such problem with arriving places on time," she whispered angrily.  He backtracked a few steps, and stared down at her.  She was such a small woman; the lengths of his robe hanging off of her, making her seem even smaller.  The thin trail of blood on her knee seemed to shimmer in the moonlight and he noticed for the first time that she was attempting to walk the rough trail in bare feet.  It was quite a pitiful sight, but he felt an indescribable urge to protect her, that she was delicate and fragile, and needed his protection.

Ginny was unnerved by the way that he was staring down at her, with a strange look in his eyes.  He took a step towards her, which made her jump back slightly.  Quickly, before she could even protest, he had swept her up and the next thing she knew, he had slung her over his shoulder, and was carrying on his way down the trail.

"Put me down this instant!" she squealed, trying to squirm free of his tight grasp.  She couldn't believe the nerve of this man!

"Stop fidgeting, or I'm going to drop you.  We have to hurry," he said.  His arms had a tight hold on her waist, and Ginny knew that there was no way she could get free from him.  A split second after she had stopped struggling, he finally set her down.  With a toss of her head, she reached out and pushed Draco again, and he stumbled a bit to the side.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" she whispered as forcefully as possible.  And he laughed at her.  "Malfoy, you dirty, rotten—"

"Be quiet, and just look," he said, his hands taking her shoulders, and turning her in the opposite direction.  They were on the edge of a clearing, and Ginny could make out the form of a handful of people, all standing around a fire with a small cauldron hanging over it.  Ginny watched, frowning, as they formed a circle and began chanting something in a language she couldn't understand.  Suddenly, a streak of bright red light seemed to erupt from the fire, bathing the people in the clearing in the eerie light.  Ginny gasped, and made a move to step forward.  Draco held her back, wrapping his arm around her waist to restrain her.

"Don't move, Weasley," his whispered close to her ear, sending shivers down her back.  She wriggled out of his grasp, and turned back to the scene before her.

"What are they doing?  Are they wizards?" she asked quietly.  They weren't holding wands; this didn't seem like any spell she had ever seen.  Watching with sick fascination, Ginny watched as the light slowly dissipated, and one person bent down close to the fire, and tipped the cauldron, pouring its contents into a vial he was carrying.  After that was done, the fire went out, the light gone from the clearing, and within a few minutes, the group had abandoned the clearing.

Stepping out of the protection of the tree line, Ginny walked toward the middle of the field, where the fire had been.  Looking around, confused, she couldn't figure out what had taken place.  It wasn't a spell and they hadn't been brewing a potion (no potion she knew of would make that kind of lighting display), and this area looked as though it was well used, judging by the worn grassy circle surrounding the fire.  Crouching down, she held a hand over where the fire had been.  There was no heat left.

"What was that?" she asked, accusingly.  This wasn't the work of any type of magic she knew of, and she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had been the witness to the some sort of Dark magic ritual.

"It was a ritual.  They made a healing potion, and they use each others energies to make it stronger," he explained.  Ginny shot up.

"But that's…that's impossible!"

"Not for Bulgarians.  They use magic differently then we do.  Things that we consider to be the workings of a Dark wizard…it's not the same here.  That's why your deal will never work here.  Your ideas of what is acceptable and what isn't are completely different from theirs," he explained.

"That's not possible.  Dark magic is dark magic!  What they just did…was Dark!  It would never be allowed in Britain!"

"It may have just saved someone's life!" Draco said, his voice raised.

"I don't care, it's still wrong!"

"What gives you the right to say if it's wrong?"

"It's just…it's the way things are!  You can't just change the rules for one country!  Look at You-Know-Who!  What he did in Britain affected everyone in the wizarding world!  Bulgaria was in as much danger as we were!  And now you want us to turn a blind eye to what's going on here?"

"You don't understand what it's like for them.  It's not Dark Magic to them.  And a Dark Lord would never rise here, because they know how to control their power!" Draco yelled.

"But what happens when one person decides that they want more then what everyone else has?  What happens when that person decides to take what he's learned from his people and use it to hurt others?" Ginny demanded, incensed.

"That would not happen here!"

"And how do you know that?  Is there any way you can prove that to me?"

"In time, Weasley, in time," he drawled slowly, turning away from her.

"What do you mean, in time?" Ginny demanded, storming after him.

"For a bloody Griffyndor who can be friend Muggles, werewolves and who-know-what-else, you're remarkably close-minded about this, Weasley.  I didn't expect that of you," Draco said over his shoulder.

"You know nothing about me, Malfoy!" she yelled after him.

"I know a lot more than you think," he said, spinning around to face her.

"Save it, Malfoy.  I want to go home," she said childishly, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Not before you agree to come back here, so you can learn more about the way that they work.  Otherwise I'll never endorse your agreement, and it will never pass.  In fact, I'll begin my own campaign to have it halted.  I'll get to all the countries you have committed and get them to refuse to sign it," Draco threatened, dangerously.

"What is in this for you, Malfoy?" Ginny yelled.  She was about to add more, when suddenly he reached down, his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.  Before she could think, before she could even react, he was leaning over her, his eyes glinting dangerously.  Bending down, he kissed her.

Slowly, Ginny realized what was happening and tried to push him away, but by then, her body had taken over, and was reacting without her consent.  His arms pulled her closer to him, pressing her against her body, running his arms up her back.  A hazy cloud seemed to cloud Ginny's brain as her senses overloaded from the sensation caused by his touch.

And as soon as it had begun, he had drawn back.  She stumbled backward, too stunned to even begin yelling at him.

"I'll send instruction to your assistant.  Be prepared tomorrow," he said, shoving a book with a red cover into her hands.  As she finally collected her wits about was about to respond with a scathing comment, she felt the ground under her feet begin to fade, and she cursed as the clearing disappeared and she found herself in her flat once again.

_Damn it!  He did it again!_ Ginny thought, furiously.  Shaking slightly from the events of the evening, she vowed that she would get the last word even if it was the last thing she did.  Glancing down at the book in her hands, she felt her anger dissipate slightly as curiosity took over.  _Bulgarian Wizards and their Magic _was written in gold lettering across the front cover.  Opened the obviously old volume, she pulled out a loose piece of parchment that had been stuck in the cover.

She read the message scrawled across the letter, crumpled it up and threw the book across the room.  The note, written by Draco, said: _Learn about something before you judge it.  Isn't that what you Griffyndor are always preaching?_  Pulling off Draco's robe, she tossed it aside with scorn, her face flaming as she thought about how he'd just kissed her.  She was furious with him; the indignity of him having the _nerve_ to even touch her.  _You're also mad at yourself because you enjoyed it_, a voice inside her head protested.  Ignoring it and choosing to blame him, she paced around her living room, attempting to vanquish the feel of his lips that still burned against hers.  She nearly tripped over the book she had tossed aside.  Staring at it for a moment, she picked it up.  Opening the cover, she sat down on the couch and began to read.

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There ya go!  As always, thanks to those of you who have left a review, I really appreciate it


	9. Something Different

New chapter!  I hope you enjoy.  I was inspired by the lunar eclipse (for anyone in Ontario, you know what I'm talking about!).  Actually, I should be working on an American Politics paper but trust me, American Politics from a Canadian perspective, not so exciting.

This chapter lays some ground work for future plot.  There'll be a lot more coming soon.

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**Chapter 9: Something Different**

Clarice jumped as she turned from the filing cupboard she had been rifling through to her desk, and spotted Ginny walking into the office.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Ginny mumbled as she walked straight by, into her office.  Clarice frowned; something wasn't right.  Ginny Weasley did not amble into a room, especially not in the morning.  She was always hustling in, always late, frantic and excited about whatever prospective appointments she had for the day.  She was not the type of person who would sneak up on you, especially not in her own office where her diplomatic façade was usually dropped around Clarice.

            Clarice was about to go after her, when Ginny came stumbling back out, headed straight for the coffee.  Another oddity, Ginny did not drink coffee.  Clarice frowned, and took a moment to observe her.  Her eyes were downcast and framed by dark circles, and her face seemed strained somehow.  There was something stiff about the way she was walking; her normally confident stride was gone.

            "Ginny, what on Earth is wrong with you?" Clarice asked, unable to stand it anymore.

            "Long night," she answered curtly.  Clarice was about to press for more information when the booming voice of Cornelius Fudge filled the quiet room.

            "Virginia Weasley, there you are, brilliant girl!  The answer was so simple, I can't bloody believe I never saw it!" he was shouting.  Ginny was staring at him, a blank look on her face.

            "Well, that's what you hired me for, sir," she answered slowly, hoping that he would fill her in as to what had made her so brilliant.

            "I just don't know how you've managed to do it, there hasn't been a diplomatic trip to Bulgaria in centuries!" Fudge declared excitedly.  Ginny, who had been in the process of drinking her coffee, suddenly choked and began to sputter.  After coughing for a few seconds, her face turned quite red, she turned to Fudge.

            "What?" she demanded, her voice broken from the liquid lodged in her windpipe.

            "I got your owl last night, Virginia.  You told me that you'd made a breakthrough with Malfoy and Bulgaria, and you've been invited to spend some time in the country, visiting with their officials to take into account any amendments that they would like to make to the deal," Fudge explained carefully, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

            "I assure you Fudge that I –"

            "—wouldn't give in when she came up with the idea until I just had to arrange it," Draco Malfoy's voice filled the room.  Ginny felt her temper boil; if she grew any angrier, she'd be likely to start breathing fire.

            "Mr. Malfoy, I wouldn't want to forget the part you played in this," she said sweetly, while glaring at him with a look of abject hatred.

            "Of course, Virginia.  But please, call me Draco.  After our meeting last night, I thought that we agreed that we would work as a team on this; team members don't refer to each other so formally," he said with a smirk.  She met his gray eyes – she could see the mischief in them and it made her furious.

            "Very well, Draco.  Now, if you could please explain to Mr. Fudge the itinerary for this trip you've proposed, I'm sure he'd like to know what his representative will be doing while in Bulgaria," Ginny said, smiling through gritted teeth.  Clarice was watching this exchange, extremely amused.  Fudge was so oblivious to the tension between the two, Clarice was beginning to believe all the stories she'd heard that he was a nutter.

            "Bulgaria is rather wary of visitors, sir, so I've managed to convince some relations of mine to host Virginia's visit.  With their influence, I'll be able to arrange some visits with the members of their Ministry, as well as introduce her to some aspects of their culture, so she can see what life is like there," Draco answered smoothly.

            "All right then.  Virginia, I'll leave you and Mr. Malfoy to your planning, but I shall expect daily reports from you," he said, smiling.  Ginny just nodded with a weak smile, and watched as the man carefully left the office.  Draco's smirk slowly faded with every step he took, and as soon as Ginny was sure that the Minister was out of earshot, he was going to get an earful.

            "So, Virginia, I expect you to be ready to leave around 7 tonight."

            "And how long should I prepare to be in Bulgaria for, Draco?" she asked, sweetly.  Draco was startled, expecting at least a smoldering display of temper, if not a full-blown explosion.

            "Diplomatic missions are generally two weeks, Virginia.  There will be quite a few official functions, so make sure you have appropriate attire," he said carefully.

            "Of course.  Well, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a bit of business to take care of before I leave for a few weeks, so I shall meet you later tonight, just leave instructions with Clarice as to where you would like to meet," she said, her cool official tone present in her voice once again.  He was shocked; he mouth was practically hanging in surprise.  She smiled once again, and then retreated into her office.  Draco stood, staring at the closed door, feeling an inexplicable ball of anger forming in his stomach.

            Ginny had just sat down at her desk, and buried her face in her arms when her door swung open, and a clearly enraged Draco Malfoy stormed into her office.

            "So you're just going to come, so easily?" he practically yelled.

            "Yes."

            "Yes?  That's it?  No fighting, no yelling, nothing?"

            "What would that accomplish?  You've already made my decision for me, and I do believe that if I protested to your carefully arranged plans, Fudge would have me sacked, and this is far too important to me to allow that to happen," she answered, refusing to meet his eyes, pulling out a file and pretending to scan it when really she was distracting herself from meeting his cool gaze.

            Draco's eyes narrowed as he surveyed her.  She was far too calm for his own good; from what he had learned from her in recent days, she should be livid.  Something was not right, and he was going to find out what she had planned.

            "If I had asked you to come without going to Fudge first, would you have agreed?" he asked quietly.

            "No."

            "Then I forced you into this. Aren't you angry with me?" he asked, bewildered.

            "Very much so, Mr. Malfoy, but unlike some people in this room, I know how to control myself in certain situations.  Now, if you will please excuse me, I have a lot of work to take care of," she said, not even looking up.  Draco sighed in frustration and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * * * *

            "Ginny Weasley, you are not for one second actually considering going to Bulgaria with that…that _Malfoy_ are you?" her brother's voice bellowed from the living room of her flat.  Ginny, who had spent the last half hour packing, rolled her eyes at her brother's unannounced arrival.

            "Ron, it's my job.  I don't really have a choice.  And besides, how did you know?" she demanded, as he walked into her bedroom.  His face was flushed, and his eyes were wild.  Ginny assumed he had just found out about her trip.

            "Gin, I'm a Auror, it's my job to know," he said distractedly, watching her as she scurried around the room, hurriedly throwing items into a small bag.  "But that doesn't explain why you are going!"

            "See, Ron, in the real world of grownups, there are these things called responsibilities and obligations.  I was given the responsibility of securing Bulgaria's support for this deal, and it is my obligation to cooperate with the man who can help me do that," she said condescendingly.

            "Sod off Ginny, you're starting to sound like Hermione," Ron growled gruffly.

            "Then go bug her, will you, and let me get ready?"

            "You're not getting off the hook that easily, Virginia.  I don't want you to go there.  You know all that goes on there.  It won't be good for you," Ron said warily.

            "I realize that, Ron.  In case you've forgotten, I was the one possessed by Tom Riddle, and I'm fully aware of the affect that Dark magic has on me because of that.  Don't you see the advantage that gives me?" Ginny snapped, her patience worn thin by her lack of sleep, the stress of the impending visit and all other annoyances in her life.

            "It makes you weak and sick and distracts you!  The last thing you need to be around Malfoy is weak, Ginny," Ron snapped back.  The famous Weasley temper was being unleashed two fold in this room!

            "But because I'm so sensitive to it, I can't tell whenever someone around me is using it, whenever it's in close proximity.  If I sense it, then I will leave without a second thought Ron, I promise!  You have to understand why I need to do this!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her cloths into her bag, expelling her anger on the innocent garments.  With Ginny's words, Ron gave a deep sigh that was tinged with sadness.

            "Yeah, Ginny, I understand why.  But I know that he wouldn't want you to do anything that would put you in danger, not for him.  You wouldn't want his sacrifice to be wasted because of this vendetta you have against all Dark magic," Ron said gently.  Ginny stopped dead in her tracks, looking as though she'd just been physically hit by Ron's words.  Her lower lip was trembling slightly.  Ron winced, knowing that he'd said the wrong thing.

            "How dare you say that to me.  How dare you!  You know nothing about what happened!  Should I remind you?  You weren't there, you were off trying to save a woman who will never see you the way you want her to!" Ginny hollered, her hands shaking with rage.

            "Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, stricken by her words.

            "Just get out of here Ron.  I can't argue with you about this, not tonight.  I have too many other things to deal with," she said, turning away from him and continued her rushed packing.  Ron sighed, knowing that there would be no getting through to her tonight.  She had been open and vulnerable for about a split second, but then she froze him out, the way she did anyone who got too close.

            The only pleasant thought he had as he quietly slipped out of her apartment was that he would hate to be Draco Malfoy right now.

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As always, thanks so much to those who review, you have no idea how much it makes my day to see reviews.  I post both on ff.net and harrypotterfanfiction.com, and comments from both sites have been very encouraging and very helpful, so thanks again.


	10. Travel Preparations

**Standard disclaimer still applies.  Don't own them, just fiction, no money involved, etc.**

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Chapter 10: Travel Preparations 

Draco Malfoy had not slept very well the night before.  After returning to his home, his mind had been too active to allow much rest.  His new plan was shaping up to be very successful, and he knew that within a few more days of it, he would have Virginia Weasley exactly where he wanted her.

He was also angry with himself and unable to comprehend his actions.  _Why did I kiss her?_ he had asked himself angrily throughout the night.  That certainly hadn't been part of the plan.  Of course, it probably had worked to his advantage, distracting her even more than she already was.  But it had also had an undeniable affect upon Draco as well.  He couldn't get the memory of that moment out of his head.  He kept trying to brush it off as a temporary moment of weakness; she had looked irresistible, her long hair blowing about in the wind, her skin pale in the moonlight, her eyes blazing as though she was ready to tear him limb from limb.  It was quite an effect and he tried to console himself that anyone in his position would have done exactly the same.  _But whom am I kidding_? he had to ask himself.

  Checking the time, he realized that he had twenty minutes before he went to meet Weasley at their pre-arranged spot, and he sighed in frustration.  He had taken care of all the business that couldn't wait, instructing all types of post to be sent to him in Bulgaria among other things, had packed and even managed to plot some strategy for the impending visit.  But now, he was left with nothing left to do, but idly wait.  And think about last night…He shook his head, as if he could just shake the impression that fleeting moment had left upon him.

He heard the telltale 'pop' of a wizard Apparating behind him, and he pulled out his wand and spun around, almost on instinct.  He was only mildly surprised to see the hero of the century, the one and only Harry Potter, standing in his study, arms crossed, a threatening look upon his face.

"Malfoy."

"Potter.  Delighted to see you.  Little unexpected though, don't you think?" Draco sneered.  Harry just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Malfoy, I know we're supposed to be the best of friends now because of Gabrielle, but I don't think that's ever going to happen, so we may as well just accept it."

"I already have, Potter.  You, I might point out, are the one who is standing in my house, so if you'd kindly state your business, then we can both be on our ways," Draco said, crossing his arms and glaring at his nemesis.

"I want Ginny out of Bulgaria by the end of the month."  Draco's eyes narrowed; how dare Potter make any demands of him!

"I'm sure you'll agree with me here, Potter, but no one has any control over Virginia Weasley, least of all me."

"I don't care, Malfoy.  If she's still in that country by the time the lunar eclipse comes around, you are going to have to answer to me," Harry said, taking a step forward threateningly.

"Do you think that I would allow that, Potter?  That I'm that foolish?" Draco asked incredulously.

"If anything happens to her, Malfoy, not even the good reputation you've earned yourself will save you from the what I and the Weasley brothers will do to you," Harry said, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

"She'll be under my protection while we are there.  No one would mess with the Malfoy name, so never fear, Potter."

"Just making sure we have an understanding," he said with a pointed look.  A moment of intense silence fell over the two, until finally Harry pulled out his wand and Disapparated.  Watching Harry leave, he sighed.  If he wasn't careful, things could get a lot more complicated then he thought.

* * * * *

Quickly grabbing her bag and struggling into her shoes, Ginny opened the door, ready to run as she was late.  She would have screamed as she nearly crashed into someone on the other side of the door, but she was holding her keys in her mouth because her hands were full.

"Hermione!  You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she gasped, dropping one bag as she shuffled out the door, shutting it and locking it.

"Ginny, I know you're busy, but I need to talk to you," Hermione said frantically.  Ginny, frowning in curiosity, turned to look at the older woman, and noticed that she seemed upset.  Ginny was perplexed by this.  But she was also late.

"Well, if you want to walk with me down to Diagon Alley, we can talk on the way, but I'm late, so we'll have to hurry," she gasped, tossing her keys into her purse, picking up her bags, straightening out her skirt, shouldering her bag, checking for her wand before beginning to walk down the hall, Hermione in tow.

"I just spoke to your brother, Ginny.  Whatever you said to him really upset him," Hermione explained as they stepped into the lift.

"That was why I said it.  I needed him to back off so that I can do my job, and he comes around acting like he knows what is best for me," Ginny explained.

"He's worried about you.  We all are, for that matter.  Harry's been frantic since he found out that you are actually carrying through with this trip with Malfoy.  He's just looking out for his little sister."

"I think that I've proven a few times that I don't need anyone to look after me.  Plus, what about you three, then?  All of you, running off to be Aurors, rooting around in all sorts of trouble, and you don't hear a tiny mutter of protest from me.  But the second that the little sister gets herself into something that might have the remote possibility of being even slightly dangerous; she needs to quit despite how important her job is!  You can't honestly expect me to play into that, Hermione, can you?" Ginny asked sarcastically.  Hermione looked surprised.

"Ginny, what's come over you lately?  First that fight at the party, yelling at your brother and now this?  It's been so long since I've seen this side of you," Hermione observed thoughtfully.  Ginny could see the wheels in her head turning, as she tried to associate a reason for Ginny's out-of-character behavior.

"I'm just tired, late and I have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks, and I don't need the three of you pushing me around," Ginny answered, matter-of-factly as they stepped off the lift and exited the building, heading out into the busy London street.

"I guess I can understand that.  I get like that sometimes when we've been so busy with work that I haven't had a moment to myself, let alone any time with Michael.  It's strange how jealous he gets when I'm away on assignment, he doesn't seem to understand that when I'm off with Ron and Harry, we're doing work, not just gallivanting around for a good time," Hermione sighed.  Ginny cast her a sideways glance, hoping that she would just drop the subject; she always found it awkward when Hermione tried to discuss her boyfriends with her.  She was Ron's sister, after all.

"Maybe he just doesn't understand the relationship that you three have.  He's a bit of an outsider, you know, he doesn't know the history you three have."

"Uh…Ginny, I've been meaning to ask you something," Hermione said after a moment of silence had followed.  She had stopped walking, and was standing still, people bustling by her, in a hurry.

"All right, but you'd better make it quick, Hermione, I really have to be on my way," Ginny said, checking the time again.  She was over ten minutes late.  She had to smile slightly, imagining how angry it was making Malfoy that he was waiting for her, again.

"What you said that night at the party…that I was 'just like him.'  What did you mean by that?" Hermione asked nervously.  This stopped Ginny in her tracks.  _Not now, this is not the time for this_, her mind pleaded silently.  She could clearly recall why she had said it, she had been angry and vulnerable and needed to turn the tables so that Hermione would just leave her alone.  She never imagined that her comment would have any effect on the girl.  But by the look on Hermione's face, it had apparently made quite an impression.

"What do you think that I meant by that?" Ginny asked, ever the politician trying to dodge the issue.

"Please, don't play games with me.  What did you mean?"

"Just that…you're blind.  When was the last time you really noticed the people around you, how much has changed, what going through their minds at the moment?  What they've been doing lately, why they've been doing it, what they secretly keep hoping will happen if they keep trying?" Ginny tried to explain.

"Who are you talking about, though?  Whom haven't I noticed?" she questioned anxiously.  Ginny had the feeling that Hermione knew exactly what she was talking about but what afraid to admit it to herself.  Ginny wasn't about to make her face it; she had to do it on her own.

"That is something you'll need to figure out for yourself, because I really need to be going, Hermione.  We can talk about this more when I return.  Look, there's the Leaky Cauldron, I need to be off, good bye Hermione!" she said, turning and dashing through the crowd, not looking forward to seeing the irritated Draco Malfoy that was waiting for her.

* * * * *

She had breezed into the restaurant, calm and fresh as if she had just been out enjoying an evening stroll.  Draco bit back a growl of frustration.  Dressed stylishly in another one of her suits, this time a light gray, she seemed like a completely different person then she had this morning.  Her hair, while still tied back at the base of her neck, hadn't been twisted into one of her famous knots, allowing the lengths of it to flow down her back enticingly.  Her skirt was cut teasingly just below the knee, and the look on her face as she approached him was annoyingly chipper.  She had a slight smile, and her pace was easy and relaxed.  _Time to guess what her game plan is going to be_, he thought to himself, sizing her up.  _Something's definitely changed from this morning and now_.

Ginny had spotted him as soon as she entered the room, and she could feel his eyes taking in her appearance.  Strangely, the confrontation with Ron and her previous discussion with Hermione had left her feeling cleansed, as if she had just washed away something that had been bothering her for a long time.  Looking up at his face, she tried not to feel intimidated by his height and the cool gaze he was inflicting on her.

She had a job to do.  Nothing was going to stand in the way of that, not even this arrogant git.  Not even this charmingly handsome arrogant git.  Ginny kept repeating this to herself over and over as she approached, the scrutiny his eyes were giving her growing more intense as they raked over her body.

"Draco, sorry to keep you waiting," she said, forcing a weak smile under that cool gaze.

"You didn't.  I just arrived myself, figuring you would be late," he answered back solemnly.  Ginny resisted the urge to growl in frustration; why was he always one step ahead of her?  Why??  Taking a deep, calming breath, she repeated the vow she had made to keep her cool around him, and smiled.

"Very well then, are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes, if you'll follow me?" he asked, turning.  He stopped abruptly as he felt her hand grab his arm.  Her turned back to look at her – there was no warmth in her brown eyes, and she seemed deadly serious all at once.

"Before I go anywhere with you, Draco Malfoy, there is one thing that I need to know," she whispered, looking furtively around her.  It was a public place, and she did not want to draw any attention, but she needed to know.  Draco stared down at her, his cool gray eyes seemed to be looking straight through her.  Without breaking eye contact, she slid her hand down the length of his arm, until it reach the cuff of his sleeve.  Staring up at him, she slowly pushed of his stylish black sweater up the length of his arm.

Realization dawned in his eyes as he understood what she was looking for.  Leaning down, his face so very close to hers, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her neck.  It sent a wave of shivers down her back, and her stomach, which was already quavering due to his close proximity, began a newly inspired acrobatic routine.

"There is nothing there," he whispered, before pulling back.  Finally looking away, Ginny could see that he was telling the truth.  No Dark Mark tainted the pale perfection of his skin.

As he pulled his sleeve back down, he gave her a slight, almost indiscernible smile, then turned and began to exit the room.  With an inaudible sight of relief, Ginny followed him out of the building, and out onto the street.  Duty or no, she was not about to hand herself over to the mercy of a marked Death Eater.

Pulling out his wand, and holding it out, Draco turned to his companion and with a self-satisfied smirk of triumph noticed that she seemed to be slightly shaken by what had transpired.  A loud crack was heard and the Knight Bus pulled up in front of them, to the shock of the few wizards who had been standing around.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Virginia?" he asked as she tentatively boarded the bus.

"I think the real question is, are you sure Bulgaria is ready for me?" she asked, tossing her hair confidently.  Draco chuckled to himself.

"How right you are, Weasley.  How right you are."

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Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter.

For those of you who have been asking me about why Ginny was so upset with Ron during their little argument in the last chapter, all I can say is there is A LOT more going on with Ginny then meets the eye, so stay tuned to find out more about that whole saga.

Thank you so much to those that are reviewing.  Especially those that review often, I love knowing that someone is actually reading my story, and I find your comments so helpful, so thank you!  

I'm trying out a new summary, to see if maybe I can portray better what this story is about, but I don't know…that's what's giving me writers' block, not the story but the damn summary!

I've got four papers due in the very near future, so I may not have a new chapter for a week or so, I apologize profusely (especially since _I_ think the story is just about to get interesting, what with them arriving in Bulgaria and all), but I hope to have something up soon enough!

Thanks again for reading.


	11. Ruse

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Chapter 11: Ruse

The cold breeze whipped around Ginny, chilling her to the bone.  The sharp, fresh air seemed to invade her senses, awakening them.  It was almost as if her very skin was clogged and choked from the cooped-up, boxed in city life that Ginny had been living, and it was finally free once again, like nothing it had ever known since Hogwarts.

            Gazing up before her, she drank in the sight of the Malfoy family estate, which stood about three hundred yards away.  Other than Hogwarts castle, it was the most magnificent building she had ever laid eyes on.  Surrounded by an endless expanse of snow-covered trees, the dark stone of the building was a prominent contrast to the fields of white snow of the grounds.  Evergreen trees and snow-covered hedges spotted the grounds, adding a promise of life to the other wise desolate landscape.  The pointed roofs of the magnificent towers of the mansion were also covered in snow, tucked away for the winter.

            It should have been a lonely, bleak sight.  Yet it was shrouded with a beauty that Ginny could not name; a sense of calm and peacefulness seemed to emanate from the area.  The soft glow of candlelight shining through the windows and the faints smell of wood smoke promised warmth and comfort.  Ginny couldn't stop her wide-eyed staring.  The effect was sublime; it was drawing her in, speaking to a part of her that she had shut down so long ago.

            It reminded her of her childhood and the years she spent at Hogwarts.

            "It's amazing, isn't it?" Draco said proudly, noticing her expressions of awe.

            "Yes, of course," Ginny choked out, words almost failing her, as she looked upwards to gaze at the towers lovingly.  Draco rewarded her unspoken compliments with a rare smile, as they continued their trek in silence, Ginny far too awed to speak.  They were walking down the path to the main entrance of the building, as they had been dropped off just outside the main gate.  Ginny was so entranced with drinking in the sight and feel of the place she would be staying for the next weeks when she suddenly realized that they had arrived at the door.

            "Mr. Malfoy, so good to see you, sir!  Your family has been expecting you," a voice greeted from inside.  A short, round man had opened the door, greeting the pair with a warm smile, which Ginny was shocked to see that Draco returned almost instantly.

            "Thank you, Gregory.  I assume that they in the study?" Draco asked, as he set his bag down, and unclasped his cloak.  A few more servants appeared as if out of nowhere, and were taking Ginny's bag and her robe from her, leaving her to just stare in wonder at the scene before her.

            From the outside, the mansion looked very similar to Hogwarts; it looked like a castle.  However, on the inside, there was nothing castle-like about it.  Instead of cold stonewalls, and hard marble flooring, surrounded by large, fancy furniture and intricately carved trappings, the main hall resembled that of a family home.

            The floors were a honey-colored hardwood, the furniture, from where she could see, was richly designed, but still warm and inviting.  The cream colored carpets spaced intermittently about the floor were soft and welcoming, and the taupe walls covered with paintings of beautiful landscapes.  Ginny was shocked, she was sure that she would be spending her days in a cold, inhuman castles surrounded by the cold company of the Malfoy clan.  Instead, she found a richly, sophisticatedly designed family home, that radiated warmth, comfort and seemed to welcome her instantly.

            "Virginia, would you like to meet my family?" Draco said, breaking her thoughts.  He had a sly smirk on his face again.  He could tell how surprised she was and it pleased him.

            "Yes, of course," she said.

            "Alright, let's go then.  Don't worry Gregory, we'll be fine on our own," he said, addressing the man who had stepped forward to lead them.  Draco, guiding her down a hall with his hand against the small of her back, nodded politely to the butler as they passed.

            "How long has this home been in your family?" Ginny asked, finally able to speak properly, the shock beginning to ebb.

            "Seventeen generations, I think.  I maybe a bit off, it's been awhile since anyone has asked that," Draco said lightly.

            "It's incredible, Malfoy.  I can't even imagine how you leave this place at the end of your visits," she commented, once again craning her neck to try to observe everything at once.

            "I manage.  I am here as often as my schedule allows, I think that's what helps me leave.  The knowledge that I'll be back before long," he spoke, quietly.  They had neared the end of the hall, and Ginny could see light coming from the room on the very end, and she could hear muffled voice and laughter.  _Laughter from a bunch of Malfoys?_ She questioned herself curiously.  _I think I've entered a parallel universe_.

            Just as she expected to turn into the room, he stopped suddenly, grabbing a hold of her arm.  His face, a few seconds before, had been light and about as cheerful as she could see Malfoy getting, but was now a mask of solemnity.

            "Listen up, Weasley.  There are a few things that you need to remember about this trip.  One, nothing is really the way that it looks.  If you have questions about anything, ask me first before you say anything to anyone else.  Two, avoid talking about your position in Fudge's office as much as possible."

            "Why would I do that?  Isn't that what I'm here for?" she asked furiously.

            "Weasley, you're in my domain right now.  Remember what school House most of my family comes from.  We need to be sly about this, and unless you're willing to play by my rules, you can just head back to London," he answered lazily, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning back against the wall so to stare down at her with those piercing eyes of his.

            "You are not telling me something, Malfoy and I think you better fill me in if you expect me to stay here and play your little game," Ginny demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

            "Look, people here are different.  Back home, being one of Fudge's minions isn't such a bad thing.  Some people may even be proud of it.  But here, it isn't.  He – and Britain's Ministry, for that matter – aren't well liked, and it is best if you just play along."

            "Then what reason do I tell them that I'm here?" Ginny spat back, outraged that he had waited until now to inform her of this situation.

            "You'll just have to play along with the ploy I've already invented," he said with a sly smirk, before straightening up, grabbing her hand and leading her into the room.

            "Draco!  You've arrived!  We've been waiting for you!" a cheerful-looking woman cried out as they entered the room.  Her hair, Ginny was certain, had once been the signature blond of the Malfoys, but was now streaked with gray.

            "Hello, Aunt Elizabeth.  I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Draco answered smoothly, as he pulled Ginny forward to stand next to him.  He hadn't let go of her hand yet, and she tried to wriggle it out of his grip but he only tightened his hold.  She looked around the room, and spotted an old man that must be Draco's uncle, standing next to his aunt, and two other young men, both with the patent blond hair.  Thinking wryly of her own bright hair, Ginny felt certain that she was going to stand out among these people, no matter what ploy Draco had invented.

            "And this must be your Virginia.  Welcome dear, it's so nice to meet you!" the woman was saying, as she engulfed her in a hug.  Baffled, Ginny just smiled in return when she was finally released.

            "You have such a lovely home," Ginny said, her eyes taking in the sight of the study.  Another room of warmth and comfort, the fire crackling merrily and numerous plush couches and chairs that reminded her of those in the Gryffindor common room.

            "We are just so glad to have you here.  You are the first girlfriend that Draco has ever brought to meet us, and we're anxious to get to know you," she continued.  With a snap, Ginny looked at Draco, who was glaring at her out of the corner of his eyes while trying to keep the pleasant look on his face.

            "Girlfriend?" Ginny choked out.

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Another chapter coming in a few days.


	12. It Returns

Disclaimer: standard still applies.

Disclaimer 2:  This is where I try to remind everyone that this is FICTION.  While it may seem irresponsible as an author to set her story somewhere she's never been and knows nothing about, that is what I've done.  I know nothing about Bulgaria (except where to find it on the map and the role it played in the Cold War *remember, Political Science student, I've been brainwashed*) and anything in this story about Bulgaria is the product of my imagination, used solely for plot advancement and does not in any way reflect my opinion about Bulgaria or Bulgarians.  It's just fiction.

Disclaimer 3:  I am not British, I'm Canadian.  I'm a wannabe poser, therefore I use whatever slang I can find.  Hate me for it, don't care, but I feel cool when it's used in my story.  It's a compliment.  Please take it that way.

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Chapter 12: It Returns 

It was a miracle she hadn't murdered him on the spot.  But Virginia Weasley wasn't the best of the best for nothing.  She had been trained, by almost six years of working for Fudge, to hide her emotions, to maintain the proper façade under any circumstances.  And she had been able to do so, amazingly well, Draco noted, even though the look in her eye spoke her growing desire to throttle him.  He smiled to himself, as he watched her interact with his family members, knowing that as soon as they were given a moment alone, she was going to rip his heart out and enjoy doing it.

            Draco leaned back against the wall, almost hidden in a dark corner, content to watch the scene before him.  This was one of his favorite places in the world, right here in this study, surrounded by his father's family.  He was certain that Virginia was highly surprised by the warm reception she had received, and she seemed to be enjoying herself immensely as his Aunt Elizabeth, his Uncle Vincent, and his cousins, Sarah and Danika, had surrounded her, eager to learn as much about her as possible.

            "Now, dear, what is it that you do for living?" his aunt asked, interjecting Sarah's excited questions about what kind of robe stores could be found in Diagon Alley.  Sarah, a typical teenager, had recently discovered fashion and was frustrated by the remoteness of her family's home, and the distance to a decent store, as she complained frequently.

            "I work in an international office.  I'm something of a diplomat, I guess you could say, I represent my company when negotiating with other countries," she said carefully.  Draco noted that she had paled slightly; lying didn't suit her at all.

            "Does that mean you get to travel a lot?" Vincent asked her curiously.

            "Yes, quite a bit.  Actually, I just returned to Britain less than two weeks ago when Mal – uh, Draco asked me to join him on this trip."

            "What kinds of places have you been, Virginia?" he asked.  From his place across the room, Draco could see the glint in his eyes, knowing where this was leading.  Draco battled with his conscious for a moment then, with a smirk, he decided he would rather see the Weasley in action.

            "Many places around Europe.  Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany…I've also been to Greece, a few small countries in the Mediterranean, and a few countries in South America," she answered, thinking back to create her list.

            "Ah, South America?  Have you been to Guatemala?" he asked.  Draco bit back a laugh, knowing perfectly well what her answer was going to be.

            "Oh yes, only for a day or two a few years back.  Have you been there yourself, sir?" she asked politely.  _Ah, ever the polite politician, Weasley_, Draco thought with amusement.  _Little do you know that your politeness is going to cost you a three-hour history lesson on Vincent's adventures among the Guatemalans._

            "Why, yes.  I spent five years there, living among the people, and exploring some of the history there.  There was this fascinating group of ancient wizards that formed a bit of a colony there, thousands of years ago.  I found quite a few artifacts from that trip, would you care to see them?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.  Touched by his enthusiasm, she heartily agreed, and he quickly led her out of the room.  They were headed to the library, Draco assumed, where his uncle kept his treasures proudly displayed.

            "Draco, she's an absolute dear.  Poor girl is going to have to hear about the bloody ancient Guatemalan wizards for hours.  You should have warned her not to mention anything," Danika admonished, having spotted Draco in the shadows.  Sarah was nodding heartily beside her.

            "She'll be fine.  Poor Vincent rarely gets a chance to relive his glory days, Virginia will be more than happy to please an old man," Draco assured his cousins.

            "Her hair is such a pretty color!  I've never seen a girl with red hair like that before!  Everyone at school is either blonde like us, or has black hair.  She's going to stick out, no doubt," Sarah declared.

            "I'm sure she'll manage.  She knows how to blend in well, it's part of her profession," he replied.

            "Well, dear, I'm so happy that you could make it.  Gabrielle will be coming home in a few days, as well, and when Darien arrives, we'll have the whole family together.  Have you spoken to Gabrielle at all?  How is she surviving in Britain, all on her own?  And who is this Harry Potter she keeps speaking about?" his aunt questioned anxiously.

            "She's doing fine.  Potter is hailed as somewhat of a hero in Britain, he's famous and completely respectable.  Gabrielle is rather enamored of him, and you shouldn't be surprised if she shows up with a ring on her finger," he answered.  Sarah and Danika squealed excitedly, and their mother just sat in stunned silence.

            "I had no idea they were that serious," she said simply, her eyes slightly downcast.  It had been hard for her, her oldest daughter leaving home to live abroad.  The two had been so close, and now it seemed as if she barely knew her now.

            "Don't worry, Aunt Elizabeth, I'm sure she'll fill you in as soon as she gets here.  She's been occupied lately, with her work," Draco said, seeing the slight sadness in his aunt's pale eyes.  She immediately smiled.

            "Why don't you go rescue your guest, Draco?  I'm sure that both of you must be exhausted, and it's best that she retire soon, anyway.  It's getting late," she said, catching his eyes with a pointed look; a hidden warning.  Nodding, Draco stood and exited the room, heading to the library.

* * * * *

            For the second time that day, Ginny was left speechless.  The kindness of this family had startled her beyond words.  She was expecting a cold, distant family where pride and arrogance would run rampant.  And yet, here they were, warm and inviting, and seemed to have just as many quirks as her own did.  Draco's Uncle Vincent, eagerly showing her his collection of tribal masks and artifacts, reminded her so much of her father who was exactly the same way about his Muggle things.

            "And this, Virginia, is what we believe some form of wand.  I've been trying to discover what they used for the core, but I'm beginning to think that they didn't use anything.  Maybe they just used a piece of wood," he said, turning to look at her.

            "Actually, I believe that only the leader actually possessed a wand.  The common people didn't use them; they relied more heavily on a sort of group magic.  It was difficult for them to conjure anything individually, they were a communal group.  They shared everything, even power," Ginny said, remembering a conversation she'd had long ago with the junior consul to Guatemala's Minister.

            "I believe I read that somewhere.  I think you're absolutely right!" Vincent declared, delighted.

            "Now, Uncle Vincent, I'm afraid I'm going to steal Virginia away from you.  Elizabeth is very worried that you are keeping our guest from much needed rest, after our trip here," Draco's cool voice filled the room unexpectedly.  Ginny turned to face him, he was hidden in the shadows again, but the scarce light in the room seemed to catch in his gray eyes, making them glitter.  The sight of his glittering eyes struck Ginny.  The cold, steel color they normally were seemed to have disappeared, and now they were warmer, almost silver in color.

            "Of course.  Sorry, my dear, we'll have to continue some other time.  I lost track of the hour myself," Draco's uncle said.  "Draco, I trust you'll see your guest to her room?"

            "Of course.  Goodnight, Vincent," Draco said, as the elder man exited the room.  He stepped forward, and his movement broke the trance that his eyes had cast on Ginny, and she was able to find her voice again.

            "You are a bloody bastard, you know that?" she asked, matter-of-factly, lacking the explosive anger he'd been expecting from her.

            "I told you that I had developed some sort of ruse.  How else would I explain I was bringing a young lady to stay with my family?  Did you want me to tell them you are a work colleague?  Malfoys do not entertain work colleagues.  Or Ministry officials, either."

            "I suppose it never crossed your mind to inform me of this plan, did it?"

            "Would you have gone along with it?"

            "Of course not!"

            "Exactly.  You're too Gryffindor to lie to anyone and would have marched right into that room and started listing all the ways that they are wrong about this stupid Act, and why they should change their lifestyle to suit your goals," Draco explained coldly.

            "That is what I'm here for, don't you forget that!"

            "I don't intend to.  Now, Virginia, if you shall follow me, I'll show you to your room," Draco said, swinging around and practically storming out of the room.  She followed him, practically needing to run to keep up with his long legs.

            "Your family isn't what I expected, Malfoy," she seethed, the remnants of her temper not yet assuaged.

            "Just because my father was a bloody bastard doesn't mean the rest of them are.  But remember what I told you, Weasley.  Nothing here is like it really seems.  It's best you remember that," he said, stopping suddenly and turning around.  Unprepared, Ginny slammed into his chest, and would have fallen backwards if his hands had not shot out to grip her waist.

            "Maybe you could stop being so mysterious and tell me what I need to know," she whispered furiously, wriggling out of his grip, and pushing him away.  He was far too close to her.  A memory from the night before flashed through her mind, and a tingling sensation seemed to travel down her back as she recalled the feel of his lips on hers.

            "This is your room.  See that you stay there until morning," he said, and with a flick of his wrist, the door to the bedroom had opened, and he was stomping down the hall once again.

            "Bloody hell," she sighed.  Why did he always make her feel like she was in over her head?

* * * * *

            Once inside the comfortably furnished bedroom, Ginny Weasley was finally able to relax.  Being around Draco seemed to cause her body to tense up.  And his family, as nice as they had been, still had her on edge.  The product of Draco's cryptic warnings, she supposed.

            Wandering around the room, she noted that her bag had been brought up and unpacked.  She explored the number of doors, finding a closet where her suits and blouses her hanging behind one, and a lavish bathroom behind another.  Stepping into the bathroom, she noticed that her brush had been placed on the sink, and a large array of colorful, fluffy bath towels were beckoning to her.  Unable and unwilling to resist, she shed her clothes and stepped into a hot shower, washing away the tension and the clogged feeling that travel always seemed to accompany.

            After her shower, she donned her nightclothes and dried her hair, reveling in the feeling of the long strands tumbling down her back.  Nighttime was the only time she allowed it to be free.  During the day, when she was all business, it was always tied back, most often in a tight knot.  It was a reminder to her that she was a grown-up and a professional.

            She sank into the wonderfully soft bed, and her body, after days of little sleep and screaming from exhaustion, was eager to relax and enjoy the opportunity to gain a full night's sleep.  Her conscious nagged at her, reminding her that she should be reading over the file that Clarice had put together about the history of this branch of the Malfoy family and that she should be planning her plan of attack for the next few days.  She also had many questions running around in her brain; why was this family the exact opposite of what she'd expected?  Why was Draco so mysterious about the details?  And why had he ordered her to stay in her room throughout the night?  As she tried to answer these questions, the aching need for sleep finally overcame her.  Within moments, she had drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the soft warmth of her bed.

* * * * *

            A loud shrill scream pierced through the night, ripping Ginny from her deep sleep as she jumped up with a gasp.  Her heart pounding in her chest, she ran to the large window, looked around desperately to see what had caused the scream.  Shaking from the chill that had crept into the room during the night, she couldn't see anything out the window except for a great white expanse.

            As her heartbeat slowed, Ginny forced herself to breath in deeply, to calm herself.  She focused all her attention to her hearing, straining to hear anything.  The silence of the castle seemed to pound in her head.  As the terror that had gripped her in the moments she had been torn from sleep slowly receded, her shaking intensified and she was forced to sit back down on the bed.

            Her previously deep breaths became shallow and uneven, and a tight pain began to stab in her chest.  Recognizing the beginnings of a panic attack, she gripped the warm blanket in her hands, so tight her knuckles were turning white, and thrust her head between her knees, forcing herself to take long, deep breaths.

            _Breathe in.  Breathe out, Ginny.  Don't think about anything, just breathe.  In.  Out.  In and out_, she coached herself, a practice that had once been so natural to her.  It had been a year since she'd last awoken in the middle of the night, torn from the safety of sleep and thrust into the terror of a panic attack.  She felt as though she'd never stop shaking and that she couldn't get enough air into her desperate lungs.

_            In and out.  In and out_, she repeated to herself.  The practiced technique eventually took hold, and she felt the tight pain in her chest ease.  Her breathing returned to normal.  Gratefully, she collapsed backwards into the pillows of the bed.  Burying herself under the safety of the comforter, the exhaustion she had felt earlier seemed to hit her twice as hard.  But she was unable to sleep.

            She was haunted by questions.  _Why now?  After so long?  I thought I was finally free._  Sleep would not come to her for the rest of the night, as she lay in the grip of an intense fear that she had not felt a long time, but was so familiar to her, it was like the return of an old friend.

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Thanks for reading.

While this isn't normal practice for me, I do want to give a huge shout out to **evilryokojesseandfiend**, who was the only person to review my last two chapters.  I just want you to know how much I appreciate that.

More coming fairly soon (couple days, maybe?)


	13. In the Labyrinth

**Standard Disclaimer still applies.**

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Chapter 13: In the Labyrinth 

He fought back the urge to frown when he saw her.  Forcefully keeping his face as neutral as possible, he drank in her appearance out of the corner of his eye.  Her customary cool and collected outward "public" appearance; the flawless façade that she worked so hard to maintain when around groups of people, had a crack in it.  Knowing her tendencies as he felt he did, he was certain he was the only one who could see it.

            She looked exhausted.  She was wearing black once again, the dark color making her skin look unnaturally ashen, and the circles under her eyes hinted at just how tired she really was.  Her hair was pulled back, as always, but in a braid this time, that hung halfway down her back.  Her hands, when she thought no one was looking, had a slight tremble to them.

            Raising one eyebrow as he continued to observe her, hidden as was usual in a corner, away from the group, Draco decided that she was scared.  Virginia Weasley had the look of someone who had seen or heard something terrifying, and was trying to forget it by continuing to act as normal as possible.

            This change, this crack, infuriated him.  Catching a glimpse of her dark eyes, which were scanning the room nervously while she tried to seem focused on his aunt's conversation, Draco saw what was hidden from everyone else; a small, frightened little girl.

            This unsettled him.  Her raging and ranting at him with wild abandon, he could handle.  Her temper, her vicious tongue lashing out at him in anger was, albeit a challenge, but it was a challenge that he was well equipped to tackle.  But this…this upset the scales, and exposed a weakness.  He wanted nothing more than to take her hand and do what he could to ease the trembling.  Shaking his head of that thought, angry that it had crossed his mind, he stepped forward, approaching the huddle of his aunt, cousins and Virginia, interrupting the conversation that they were having.

            "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I promised Virginia that I would take her on a tour today, so I'm going to steal her away for a bit," he said, smiling softly at his aunt.

            "Of course, dear.  Just don't bore the girl with all your knowledge of the family history," she said with a sly wink.  With a quick nod, he grabbed the redhead's arm and led her out of the family room.

            "Draco, what is this all about?  We were in the middle of a conversation.  You can't just come stomping up to us and drag me away and you never said anything about giving me a tour," Ginny spat at him as soon as they were far enough down the corridor.

            "I need information," he said simply, stopping his quick pace, and turning in to look at her.  She felt herself cringe slightly as those piercing, cold eyes of his glared down into her own.  His arms were on her shoulders, holding her in place.  As if she would turn away; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

            "And what information could I possibly give you, Mr. Malfoy?  Because I'm under the impression that you are the one that seems to know everything around here, and is unwilling to share with me."

            "Your point?"

            "If you want something from me, you're going to have to give something in return.  Ooh, I like that.  In fact, from now on, it's going to work that way, not just with information.  You want me to play along with this little charade that we are a couple you are going to have to start doing something for me.  Yes, I think this will work nicely," she said, a sudden smile crossing her face as she squirmed out of his hold and crossed her arms in smug satisfaction.

            "I suppose the fact that this whole trip is me helping you out has slipped your mind, Weasel," Draco sneered.  Ginny bit back a smile.  She knew she had him really riled up if he was resorting back to his childish insults.

            "See, Mr. Malfoy, this is your fatal flaw.  That arrogance of yours just gives away far too much of your game plan, and that is why I will always be one step ahead of you," she said, with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief.  She was getting a surprisingly large amount of satisfaction as she watched a flash of anger in his eyes.

            "Since you are so far ahead of me, Virginia, what is my game plan?" he asked, his voice cool and silky once again.

            "I know why I'm here, what I'm getting out of this.  But what I don't know is what is in this for you, Mr. Malfoy.  What do you get out of this?  For I can hardly believe that you are doing this out of the kindness of your own heart."

            "And your point, Ms. Weasley?"  His bored tone of voice grated at her nerves, already raw from lack of sleep.

            "That you want something out of this.  There is something in this for you.  So you can quit acting like you are a benevolent, good Samaritan acting for the common good of all wizards, and tell me what you're really after!" she said, her voice growing louder with each word.

            "Shhh!" Draco warned, whipping his head around as he thought he heard footsteps.  It wouldn't do for his family members to overhear this argument.  Ginny misread his intentions, and her anger exploded.

            "Don't you shush me, you arrogant con artist!  Just because your pride can't accept the fact that little Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor no less, has caught wind of your Slytherin games doesn't give you the right to-"

            As she spoke, he was suddenly moving closer to her, and she backed away until the wall behind her pressed against her back.  In a quick, unexpected move, his arms reached around her waist, and pressed her body to his.  About to shout her resistance, she caught a flash of silver in his eyes, and was immobilized.  Using her split-second hesitation, he captured her lips with his and silenced her with a searing kiss.

            Ginny tried to push him away, but her body betrayed her and despite her will, she found herself reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, pushing her body closer against his.  Through the swirling fog of conflicting sensations and the incredible heat his lips were creating, she could distantly hear someone giggling and retreating footsteps.

            The sound of a door slamming shut echoed down the hall and the spell that Draco seemed to have over her snapped.  Furiously pushing him away, she had to fight against her urge to strike him for his impertinence – the second display of it!

            "What the hell do you think you're doing!" she hissed, her anger stealing her ability to properly rage, she noted, which added more fuel to the fire.

            "It was either that or my cousins overhear you telling me just how much you hate me.  Whether or not there is something in this for me, Virginia Weasley, this strategy is to your benefit.  I suggest you accept this and use it to attain your goal, or else we can consider this arrangement terminated and I will arrange for your travel back to London," he said coolly, trying not to smile as he saw her faced red with anger, her eyes blazing and her small little body tensed as if prepared to do battle with him.  Strands of her hair had worked themselves free of her braid, and she looked completely flustered, furious and rattled.

            Amusing once again.  Fear, vulnerability and sorrow were no longer hidden in her eyes as they glared up at him, blazing as if to burn holes through him.  Yes, he could handle her much better this way.

            "Don't you dare touch me again," she threatened, her voice cold as ice.  _Ah, my Ice Queen has returned!  I was wondering when she'd show up again_, he thought with an inward chuckle.

            "No more than necessary, Weasley," he said, with a sly look out of the corner of his eyes as he turned away, his hand on her arm, dragging her away from the wall.  "Now, time for your tour."

            She furiously shrugged away from his touch, and followed behind him in silence, a raging storm brewing inside.  He'd gotten the upper hand once again!

* * * * *

            In the cold wind that whipped around her, prying her hair out of its braid, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes large and bright with excitement.  She was practically skipping along, full of the joyful youth of a child.  Her cloak billowed out behind her in the breeze as she drank in the sights all around her, turning around and around to make sure she absorbed everything.

            The giant, ancient trees were covered in snow, their branching hanging low to the ground.  The snow sparkled in the sun, and despite the cold wind blowing through their empty branches, Ginny couldn't feel the cold.  She was walking through a winter Fairyland!  There was an indescribable magical feeling about these woods, there was something so special about them, and it made her feel something she couldn't even describe.

            "This is marvelous," she sighed in wonderment.  After the tour of the mansion, he had taken her out to the grounds.  Walking out in the clear paths between snowdrifts, he led her into the forest that was behind the house, leading her through a maze of beautiful snow covered trees.  The absolute peace of this forest, with the labyrinth of trails that stayed clear despite the light fall of snow all around them, was very soothing to her, and she felt, for the first time in years, like a child on Christmas morning.

            "This was created in the early 18th century, by Lancaster Malfoy, a great wizard of his time.  The entire forest is a labyrinth, with the paths charmed to keep clear all through the seasons," Draco answered, forcing his voice to take on a tinge of boredom.  He didn't want her to know that watching her see this place for the first time was having any effect on him.  He also didn't want her to know how special this forest was to him.

            "What is at the center?" she asked, her eyes seeming to sparkle with mischief.

            "Only members of the Malfoy family line.  Visitors are off limits," he said, his voice suddenly stern.

            "Now, Malfoy, as we are a couple, I'm practically family," she said with a quick, teasing smile.  Raising one eyebrow, he surveyed the girl in front of him.  The change in her had been amazing.  This morning, she had been an upset, scared woman.  After their discussion in the hallway, she had been the embodiment of burning anger, and now…now she was a smiling, happy little girl, her eyes sparkling and laughing easily as if she didn't have a care in the world.  There was something about this place that made him forget his troubles, and it seemed to have the same effect on her.

            "You suddenly seem to have embraced our little game, Virginia."

            "Can't you feel it, Draco?  There's magic in this place!" she cried, throwing her arms out and twirling around.  In her excitement, she became clumsy, and tripped over her foot, sending her crashing into the knee-high snowdrift that lined the clear path.  The look on her face was precious; a cross between childish delight and furiousness.

            Draco laughed; he couldn't help it.  The girl was amusing as hell, and to see her drop her seriousness and act like a child was priceless.  He walked over to where she had landed, and offered her his hand to help her up.  Standing up and brushing his hand away, she quickly swept the snow off of her black cloak and glared at him.

            "Think that was funny, Malfoy?" she asked darkly.  He just chuckled in response.  Without warning, she pushed him backwards, until he lost his balance and fell back into the opposite snow drift.  Unwilling to allow that to be the extent of her revenge, she grabbed a handful of snow, and shoved it in his face.  Laughing as he sputtered, she stood back.  He jumped up with a growl of rage.

            He stood in front of her, wiping dripping snow out of his eyes, and glared dangerously at her.  She crossed her arms and stared back up at him defiantly.

            "You're a feisty little imp, aren't you Virginia?" he asked wryly.  Starting to laugh again, she caught a strange glint in his eyes, and noted that he was clutching a well-formed snowball in his hand.  Eyes widening, she guessed his intent, and with a cry of surprise, she ran down the path and away from him, laughing the entire way.

            He quickly followed suit, and the two of them continued their little game for almost ten minutes.  He would manage to catch her with a well-aimed throw, and she would turn and retaliate.  It reminded her of the snow fights she used to have in Gryffindor with her other housemates.  It felt good to be a kid again.

            She ran around a bend in the path, and seeing that she was hidden from Draco's sight by the trees, she climbed over the snowdrift and hid behind the tree, listening for the sound of his footsteps crunching in the snow.

            "Virginia Weasley, you should know that you cannot hide from a Slytherin," Draco called out playfully, as he rounded the corner and noticed that she couldn't be seen.  "That red hair of yours won't make it hard to spot you!"

            With a Gryffindor-like roar, she jumped from her hiding spot and doused his arrogant stance with a healthy dose of snow.  He caught her arms as fell backwards, and pulled her with him.  They tumbled to the ground with a loud groan from both parties.  They were both laughing heartily, as Ginny pushed herself up and looked into his face.  The realization that she was not only lying on top of a Malfoy, but was laughing while she was doing it seemed to hit both her and Draco at the same time, and the laughter quickly subsided.

            "Draco!" a loud, angry voice called out.  A stricken look took over Draco's face, and he quickly pushed Ginny off of him to stand up.  She glared up at him as he stood, but that was erased as he bent down to help her up.  She smiled slightly as she brushed the snow from his clothing, and nearly gasped when she found his hands doing the same.

            "Be careful, little Weasley, this will be the test of our little game," he whispered as he bent down, his warm breath on her ear sending shivers down her spine.  He turned to face the person who had yelled, taking her hand in his and pulling her closer, almost protectively.

            A tall man with dark hair was storming towards them, obviously in a rage.  As he approached, Ginny noticed the resemblance he had to the rest of the Malfoy family.  His pale skin, gray eyes and the arrogant look on his face were dead giveaways, despite his dark hair.

            "I was under the impression that you were aware of the rules of this house, Draco," the other man spoke coldly.

            "And that is the correct impression, Darien."

            "Then why is _she_ here?" he asked, pointing accusingly at Ginny.  She gasped slightly, and took a step closer to Draco, as if to hide herself behind his arm.

            "She is my guest, Darien. I thought that you had been informed of her arrival.  She will be spending part of the holidays with us.  Virginia, this is my cousin Darien.  You'll have to forgive him, he is usually not so barbarically rude to our guests," Draco said, his tone taking on his arrogant edge that he often used to crush any opposition to his will.  It was one of the reasons he had become a successful businessman, his arrogance allowed for ruthless bargaining that found little resistance.

            "Why have you brought her out here?  No guest is allowed past the outer edge of the forest," Darien spat out, barely glancing at Ginny.  She began to shiver slightly, the sun had been covered by clouds, and the wonderful magical aura of this forest seemed to have been sucked away with Darien's arrival.

            "I was simply giving my guest a tour.  I hadn't realized that hospitality had become so offensive.  Come along, Virginia, I'm sure you must be quite cold by now and eager to get inside," Draco said softly, glancing down at her.  Without another word, he simply pushed past his furious cousin, and towed Ginny along with him, still clutching her hand.

* * * * *

            Ginny, alone in her room and preparing to sleep, shuddered as she remembered that meeting with Darien.  He was very unsettling to her; not at all like the rest of the family.  They were all warm and friendly – comforting, much like her own family – but Darien was cold.  There was some thing about him that disturbed her.  She had found him staring at her periodically throughout the day, and especially at dinner.

            She was trying to distract herself from the eerie way he was staring at her by discussing more about Guatemalan culture with Vincent.  It wasn't very successful, and she was pleased to end the evening.  Draco had escorted her, once again, to her bedroom and left again with the demand that she stay in her room until morning.  Unwilling to allow Draco's strange pattern of friendly and cold behavior bother her, she sighed comfortably as she relaxed into the soft bed.

            She needed a good night's sleep.  Though the Malfoys seemed very nice and she felt herself growing rather fond of them, the two young men, Draco and now Darien, were challenging her sanity.  She was still exhausted and reasoned that this was the cause of her strange behavior in the snow that afternoon.  Closing her eyes and remembering the peacefulness of the woods when she first stepped foot in them, she soon drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

            A cry in the middle of night roused her out of her deep sleep.  Bolting upright, she jumped out of bed and ran to the window, following the sound of the scream.  Shaking from cold and fear, she wiped the frost from the window and tried to see out of it.  In the dark, all she could see was a swirling landscape of snow.

            She turned away from the window, searching her mind for excuses for the scream that had woken her.  Just as she was about to dismiss it as a dream, she felt a large tremor that nearly knocked her off of her feet.  Grabbing hold of the bed to steady herself, she turned back around to the window.  A red shockwave of light filled the room, throwing her to the ground.

            Gasping, Ginny remembered what she had witnessed in the field the night that Draco had Portkeyed her to Bulgaria.  It was the same type of effect that had just passed through the house.  She ran back over to the window, and spotted a few dark figures running through the snow towards the entrance to the woods' maze. Without even thinking, she grabbed a pair of shoes and her cloak and made her way to the door, eager to find out what was going on.  Grabbing her wand as she passed, she twisted her hair up and out of her face, and secured it with her wand for easier access, as she had no pockets in her nightdress.

            She ran as quietly as she could through the house, she made her way to the door.  As she opened it, she was greeted by a blast of cold air.  Peering cautiously outside, she noted the large snowstorm that was attacking the area.  She pulled the door shut behind her and began to trudge though the snow, making her way to the woods.  The wind howled fiercely and snow whipped her face, making it difficult to move.  She pushed herself, one foot in front of the other, until she reached the cover of the trees and the clear path of the labyrinth.

            "Lumos" she whispered, pulling out her wand.  Her hair tumbled down and she regretted not actually tying it in her haste.  She peered down at the path, and followed the trails of footsteps in the fresh snow with the help of the weak light from her wand.  She walked quickly as she could, crouching down around corners to see if anyone was there.

            Shaking from the cold, she slowly made her way further in the labyrinth, constantly stopping and listening for sounds from people, or the screams she had heard.  The further she made her way into the woods she began to notice a light emanating from the center of the maze.  Leaving the trail, she cut through the trees, following the light, looking for its source.

            Creeping quietly through the snow, she began to hear voices carried on the wind.  Crouching down behind one tree, she gasped as she realized that she could finally see the people on the other side of the patch of trees.  Biting back another gasp of amazement at what she was seeing, she had to steady herself on the tree.  _This is impossible_, she thought furiously.  She was about to move closer, behind a much larger tree to get a better look to make sure she wasn't imagining anything, when, without any warning, she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist and a firm arm cover her mouth before she could scream.

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Thanks as always for reading, and for those that have reviewed.

Don't know when I'll be posting again, it's exam time and University comes first.


	14. Stupefied

Just a quick little chapter.  Felt bad about the cliffhanger in the last chapter, so I stole some precious time away from my studying and wrote this.

**Standard disclaimer still applies.**

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**Chapter 14: Stupefied**

            Ginny tried to scream, tried to struggle free of the strong arms around her, but the immediate panic that gripped her stomach left her immobile and unable to react.

            "Now, what could Fudge's most promising little negotiator possibly be doing out here?  As a Ministry witch, aren't you supposed to obey the rules?" a cold, hard voice whispered close to her ear.  It seemed to snap her body into action, and she was violently struggling against the arms restraining her and kicking her legs up to try to work herself free.  She felt his grip break, and he had to move his hand away from her mouth to keep her from slipping free.

            "Let go of me or I will scream," she threatened quietly, calmly.

            "Go ahead.  I wouldn't be so certain that will help you anyway," the cold voice said again.  Kicking back with all her might, Ginny ran as soon as she felt his arms release in the moment that pain and surprise took over his body.  She had made it a few steps away.  She grabbed her wand from where it was tying her hair back, and her hair tumbled down in a flash of red against the moonlight.  She was about to step through the line of trees separating her from the clearing before he was right behind her.  Grabbing her shoulders with his arms, he swung her around and slammed her against a large tree nearby, causing her back to spasm in pain and the breath to be knocked out of her body.

            Finally face to face with her attacker, Ginny gasped as a pair of dark gray eyes stared down at her, full of anger.

            "Don't do that again, Ministry witch, or you'll regret it," Darien's hard voice ordered, his face a whisper away from hers.  Ginny's eyes widened in fear, and she felt the weight of his body pressing against hers pushing her closer to the tree as she struggled to regain her breath.

            "You know who I am?" she gasped softly, as she struggled to free her hand holding her wand.  She just needed to be able to maneuver it so she could get one spell on him.  Then she could run the last few steps into the clearing, where more people were and she would hopefully find an ally, preferably Draco.

            His adjusted his grip on her, running his hands the length of her arms, and squeezing her wrists tightly, further immobilizing her.  She gave up on trying to twist free; he was too strong and his height gave him leverage that she would never be able to match.

            "You're one of the Weasley rats, how could anyone mistake you for anything else?" he hissed.  His face was too close; he was too close.  His hands were gripped tightly around her wrists, pinning them back to the tree.  "Now tell me, Ministry witch, what are you doing here?"

            "It appears that Malfoy hospitality has indeed declined in recent years," drawled a soft, cool voice.  Quiet as it was, it ripped through the harsh sound of Ginny's gasping, resounding with a command and power that caused Darien's head to snap up and his grip to slacken around Ginny's wrists.  She felt her knees weaken with relief as she caught a glimpse of Draco's pale hair in the moonlight.

            "I don't extend hospitality to a Ministry spy, Draco!" Darien fumed, whipping around to face Draco.  Draco's face was calm and he was leaning back against a tree, relaxed with his arms crossed.  It was only when Ginny met his eyes did she see just how truly furious he was.

            "Let go of me this instant!" Ginny demanded, once again struggling against the tall man's grip.  Instantly turning his attention back to her, he pushed her back against the tree with one hand and aimed his wand at her threateningly with the other.  She weakly cried out in pain as the base of her skull came into contact with the tree trunk.

            "I told you to stop doing that!" Darien spat out.  "Now, cousin, why don't you tell me why you've brought this Weasley rat to our home?"

            Ginny kicked him for that, as hard as she could in a rather delicate spot.  As he doubled over in pain, she tried to wriggle free from between his body and the large tree.  She had almost managed to get a full step away before Darien recovered and grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully and yanking her back to him.

            "Cousin, if you don't release her, I will kill you," Draco said, almost pleasantly.  Slightly put off by her host's lack of action in her defense, Ginny glared at him.  And managed to catch the dangerous glint in his eyes.  He may have sounded pleasant, but he was dead serious.  Darien seemed to understand this as well; he released his hold on Ginny.  Yanking her arms free from his grip, she pushed him to the side and stepped out of his reach.  Her head was aching and she felt a stiffness in her back from when he had pressed her against it.  Without even thinking, letting her anger at being handled in such an undignified manner, she pointed her wand at Darien.

            "Stupefy!" she shouted, and watched with grim satisfaction as her spell hit him squarely in the chest and he fell over, crashing to the ground, Stunned.

* * * * *

            The girl was beginning to affect him in ways that he had never accounted before.  As soon as she stepped foot into the maze of the forest, he had known that she was there.  He could feel her presence in his 'spot', his refuge from the world.  The air around him seemed to stir suddenly, as if signaling to her what was happening.  Immediately after he realized that she had entered the maze, he felt a great well of anger boil up within him – not that he was angry she was in this place that was so sacred to him.

            No, he was angry because the _bleeding idiot _had no idea what would happen to her if the others found her here.  Had he not warned her?  As he doubled back from the clearing where the others were gathered, he began a cursory search for the little redhead, planning to throttle her for ignoring his warnings, and drag her back to the house where she was safe.  He was trying not to admit to the fact that he was near frantic with worry, for that would hardly be productive.  He promised himself he'd dwell on that at a more appropriate moment.

            When he stumbled upon Darien manhandling her, Draco had to forcefully subdue his rage as he watched in horror as the tall brute threatened the little slip of a woman, barely half his size.  Instead of raging at his cousin, Draco knew that the best tactic was to keep his cool.

            And now, staring down at the fiery woman who had just Stupefied a man twice his size, her eyes blazing with her fury and her hair billowing wildly around her, he felt the urge to laugh.  Instead of the scared, helpless heap he'd been expecting, before him was a furious firebrand that was ready to do battle with any enemy that dared challenge him.

            His laughter died in his throat as he spotted the flesh around her wrists, already bruising and appearing swollen.  He felt his anger return to the surface as the sight of that purple and swelling skin reminded him of just how much danger she was in – and all because she didn't listen to him.

            He walked to his cousin, and pulled out his wand.  While he was still under the effect of Ginny's curse, Draco preformed a simple memory charm, hoping that it would erase the memory of this event from his cousin's mind.  If Darien remembered…Draco threw off that worry and once again turned to Ginny, catching her brown eyes.  The soft look in them reminded him of those of a wounded puppy, and the fierce desire to protect her overwhelmed him again.

            Without saying a word, he grabbed her hand carefully, to avoid inflicting any further pain on her than necessary, and dragged her away from that spot and deeper into the forest.

* * * * *

            "Well, little Weasley, it seems that listening isn't among your talents," Draco finally said, as he roughly let go of her arm.  He had practically dragged her through the forest, walking at a fast clip that her shorter legs had to strain to keep up with.  He was knowledge of the landscape allowed him to be agile and fast, but she stumbled the whole way, the darkness and her panic working against her.  He hadn't stopped until they reached was seemed like a tiny alcove of trees; a tiny clearing that was guarded all around it by thick trees.  There was only space enough in the circle for them to squeeze through.

            She collapsed on the ground, exhausted from days of inadequate sleep, the panic and fear that had gripped her ever since that sound had woken her, and now her fast trek through the forest.  The ground was soft and warm – the snow hadn't infiltrated the roof of the trees above, and the wind was also blocked.  She felt her icy limbs begin to thaw and sighed as she allowed her muscles to relax.

            Draco watched her with masked worry in his eyes.  She was undoubtedly shaken and tired by their venture through the woods, but the pace had been necessary.  Darien was a powerful wizard and Draco knew that he would throw off the curse quickly and he needed to get Ginny as far away as possible before that happened.

            "Perhaps if you deigned it necessary to inform me of the dangers of venturing outside my room at night, I would have listened more closely," she responded crossly.

            "You may have damaged this entire trip, do you realize that?  When Darien recovers and if he remembers seeing you…our deal will be over, and you will be lucky to make it back to Britain!" Draco fired back, her remark igniting his temper again.

            "Quit yelling at me and listen.  I am not going anywhere until you tell me about what I saw!" she declared.  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as the man who had been pacing back in forth during their exchange of words suddenly stopped, and glared at her.  Then he sighed, and sank down to the ground, almost appearing dejected.

            "Why don't you tell me what you saw and I'll see what I can tell you," he said quietly, almost regretfully.

            "Just explain it to me, Malfoy!  If the Ministry in Britain knew about what was going on here—"

            "—You came here to learn about the wizards here so you could understand them, not to threaten them with what you've learned as soon as you gain any kind of half-knowledge!!" Draco yelled.

            "Just tell me what is going on here!" she pleaded angrily, any semblance of patience being snapped.

            "Fine, Weasley.  Remember what I told you – nothing here is as it really seems.  I guess it's time you find out why."

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Honestly would have written more, but I have an exam tomorrow and just needed to get that off my chest…  Some more should be up in a week.  Thanks as always for reading, and especially to those who review!  I'm in your debt!


	15. Shimmering Light

After deciding that I'm already a genius, I chose to forego studying because I had this incredible urge to write more (and my GPA will probably pay for that little bit of arrogance).  Never one to deny the muse when it strikes, I obliged.  Sorry if the chapter seems forced, I needed to get it out so I could get back to my studying.

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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**Chapter 15: Shimmering Light**

A few hours had passed, and the clearing at the center of the woods had been vacated and was now silent.  Draco had led her out of their hiding spot, insisting on absolute silence.  The look in his eye had conveyed the complete gravity of this moment – she was to be the first person not the family to breach that circle, to step foot in that clearing, and he had made her understand that this was not to be taken lightly.

            Pausing at the edge, Ginny wondered why she hadn't felt the magic of this place earlier when she had been so close to it.  The brand of its power filled the air and was drawing her in.  It was ancient and strangely cleansing.  The warmth and light that she could glimpse just beyond the tree line spoke of the mystery that lay behind the protective barrier of the threshold.

            He took her hand, and led her through the trees, pulling her into the clearing.  And into another world.

            It was an immense field, still lush and ripe as it would be in the springtime.  Grass grew luxuriously, vibrant bushes were blooming and wild flowers scored the field, whispering of the life and vibrancy of this magical place.  Further down, an ancient oak tree hung protectively over a small pond littered with lily pads and teeming with evidence of life.  It was what she pictured a fairy grove would be if she were to ever see one.

            And, grouped in the center, suddenly alerted to their presence, the silver creatures paused and gazed at them warily.  Struck immobile by their absolute beauty, Ginny stared through wide eyes at the effect of their shimmering coats sparkling in the moonlight.  Drawn forward by their splendor, she took a few hesitant steps towards the herd, her eyes alit with the wonder of childhood.  _It was no wonder this forest was full of magic_, she thought distractedly as her eyes took in the wonder of the sights before her eyes.

            One broke away from the group, taking a few tentative steps towards the redheaded stranger.  Involuntarily, her hand reached out, stretching towards the creature, inviting it to come even closer.  It's ancient and powerful eyes met her own, and she felt as if it could see into her soul.  After a few moments, the magnificent head bowed slightly, and it approached and nudged the palm of her hand with its muzzle.

            With shaking fingers, she slowly reached out and stroked the silver mane, barely able to contain the storm of emotions raging through her.  As her fingers grazed the silky mane, she was overcome with a sense of peace and well-being: how could there be anything wrong when she was standing in a glorious field, stroking the mane of an animal long thought to have vanished from the Earth?

            Draco watched her from the edge of the tree line, unwilling to interfere with the scene before him.  The combination of the silver moonlight, the shimmering coats of the creatures in their magnificent sanctuary and the sight of her vibrant hair glowing in the light was almost overwhelming him.  His connection to this place was very strong, and because of it, he could feel her emotions, the wonder and fascination, and he was enveloped by his desire to observe the purity of this moment.

            She turned back to him, her eyes full of contempt and a cold, focused rage.

            "How is this possible?  They were all destroyed by Voldemort's followers," she questioned softly, her voice shaking.

            "As far as the world knows, yes, all of the unicorns left in the world were killed by Voldemort, in order to feed his power and return him to full strength.  No one knows of this place, and this herd, the last ones in the world."

            "But how?  How is this possible?  Is this some sort of cage that you use to keep them at your mercy, in your power?" she demanded, her voice rising with the swell of her anger.

            "This is a sanctuary, Virginia, not a cage.  They choose to be here, and they could leave at any time.  Their magic created this forest.  They have been here long before the Malfoys were, and they are a part of us now."

            "Sanctuary from what?  There is no threat against them anymore!"

            "He wasn't the only threat against them, and you know it!  Damn it, Weasley, you know the power that they have, the purity of their magic, the strength of it.  Despite the absence of a Dark Lord, there are still those that would seek to use it to their own gain. We cannot allow that.  Even wizards who wouldn't abuse their power but would just cage them for their own pleasure…Their safety is the responsibility of the Malfoy House, it is not something we take lightly."

            "I don't understand any of this.  Start from the very beginning, please," she commanded, her voice full of authority that he felt enticed to obey.

            "This place was created out of their magic.  Everything you feel in this forest is their creation.  The maze, the trees, the weather patterns, everything is created and maintained by them.  Over a thousand years ago, an unsuspecting Malfoy stumbled into this forest.  He had been traveling back to his home, the reason has been lost through time, but we do know that he was attacked and left to die.

            "This was in the dead of winter, and he was left with nothing to keep him warm.  He crawled, bleeding to death, into the cover of this forest, and managed, probably through sheer luck, to follow the maze into the center, where the unicorns lived.  There were many more of them back in those days, and they did not need to be so careful of strangers.  They healed him, and protected him from the winter through their magic.

            "In return for his life, he promised that he and the all of his ancestors would always keep this sanctuary safe from the rest of the wizarding world, under any threat or danger that may result.  For the longest time, we have merely shared this land with them, sharing in their secret, and benefiting from their magic.

            "During the years of Voldemort's power, when he began to hunt the others down and use them to feed his power, we brought as many as could be saved here, and they were safe.  But now, there is something out there…that's pressing against the protective wards.  Something is looking for them, and it is our duty to protect them," he said solemnly.

            "And how exactly do you do that, Malfoy?" she asked, stonily, fully aware of the answer.  He sighed.

            "By replacing their power with ours," he answered simply.  Her eyes were burning a hole through him, seeking the true answer – the one that she was expecting; the one that she knew was about to come.

            "How?" she repeated, incensed.

            "By any way necessary.  By using the same form of ritual that you saw performed a few nights ago."

            "Dark Magic!" she exploded, her voice ripe with accusation.

            "According to you!  Is it so wrong if it's used to protect a group of magical creatures that, due to the damn wizarding world, are left reliant on our power because we've abused theirs so much?  You and your laws and your narrow views of the world is not going to stop that, because we have a duty to fulfill," he fired back.

            "My narrow view of the world?  Have you ever considered another way?  There has to be some other way to keep them safe, and not pollute them with your…your dark ways!" she shouted, turning away from him, unable to meet him in the eye.

            "The Malfoy family work together, sharing our magic and our power, to form a protective force around this forest, to protect what once protected us.  There is nothing evil and dark in that," he explained calmly.

            "It violates the law and you know it!"

            "And who created the law?  Virginia, you've been a part of the political world for years now, and you very well know that behind every rule, every law, there is some vendetta or benefit for whoever made it.  Haven't you ever thought to question this one?"

            "You've taken something good and pure, and the whole lot of you has polluted it with your type of magic," she said, her voice echoing sorrow, as she gazed longingly at the herd of silver creatures, watching their argument with interest.

            "What would you prefer to happen?  That we stop what we are doing, and let them be taken, and used to fuel whatever evil is out there searching for them?  If your precious Act is signed, this form of magic, the very form that protects them, will be outlawed.  And they will be taken, and a greater evil than we can even imagine will rise.  This is the only way."

            "I cannot accept that!" she yelled, whirling around and shaking with fury.

            "Then look at them long and hard, for you may never see their kind again," Draco said solemnly, before he turned and walked out of the clearing, his robe flapping softly in the breeze.

* * * * *

            She looked around her, with the desperate eyes of someone who had been backed into a corner.  The one thing that she held dearly, the one fundamental truth that she had shaped her life around was that _Dark Magic, in any form, can only do harm_.  And now, here he was, showing her the other side of the coin.

            If done for a good and noble purpose, was it still wrong?  She shuddered with that thought, her stomach reeling from the impact that very thought had brought about.  Gasping for air, she stumbled slightly, and fell to the ground, her mind whirling.

            _"Ginny, watch out!  Behind you!  Behind you!" his voice called, urgently, desperately trying to make her see.  He ran towards her, gesturing madly, but she was couldn't move.  The pressure from the power in the room, the weight of the darkness, was pressing down on her, immobilizing her._

            "Ginny!" he screamed.  A brilliant flash of green light illuminated the room, and he fell.  As she watched in horror, he collapsed on the ground.  A high, maniacal laugh filled the room, accompanied by the stench that only dark power could bring, choking her, pressing down on her lungs, making it hard to breath, hard to think, hard to…

            A soft nudge on her ear tore her away from the memory, and she gasped, sucking in the fresh air as if to grasp a hold on reality once again.  The unicorn that had approached her earlier was beside her, nudging her neck in concern.  With shaky fingers, she stroked the creature's head gratefully.

            The memory was always there, always reminding her of what Dark Magic wrought, of shape her life had taken because of it.  She had to put a stop to it, in any degree that she could.  In retribution for his sacrifice, she would do whatever she could to make sure that no one were to suffer his fate at the hand of a Dark Wizard.

            The warm muzzle nudged her again and she looked up, and observed this magical place again.  The scent on the air was fresh and clean; the landscape lush and vibrant with life.  There was no evidence of the death and sorrow that Dark Magic could generate, no choking power force to signal to her the true nature of that magic being conjured in this place…

            Perhaps Draco was right.  She stood on shaky legs, and patted the silky coat of the creature next to her.  With a sorrowful sigh, she looked around her again at this beautiful sanctuary, and made her way to the tree line, where she knew Draco would be waiting for her.

            She had a lot of thinking to do.

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Remember, there's a whole lot more in this story going on than meets the eye.  Wait for future chapters.

BTW, I don't really know anything in other fantasy stories written about unicorns.  I just took my basic knowledge (supplied by far too many viewings of the Last Unicorn and Legend) and used it to fit in my story any way that I wanted to.  That's the beauty of fiction.


	16. A Bargain

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**Chapter 16: A Bargain**

                        "Oh Virginia, dear, we were wondering when you'd be up and about," Elizabeth declared cheerfully when Ginny walked into the room the next morning.  "Oh, my dear, you look absolutely exhausted.  Haven't you been sleeping well?"

            Ginny looked into the pale face of the kind woman.  She was genuinely concerned for her guest, and Ginny tried to repress a flood of gratitude; she had to distance herself from these people or should would play into their trap and give into their ways.

            "I'm just used to my own bed at home, I suppose," she said, returning the smile.  As she sat down at the table and accepted the proffered tea with a smile, a tall woman with golden blond hair caught her eye.

            "Hello Ginny, it's nice to see you again," Gabrielle said, sitting down across from her.  Ginny, instantly making use of her diplomatic skills and unshakeable façade, she smiled warmly and nodded to Gabrielle.

            "Gabrielle was just telling me that your family is very close with her fiancé, Harry.  I didn't realize that you came from such a large family, Virginia!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

            "Ah, yes.  Six older brothers, seven if you count Harry, and I am the only girl in the whole bunch!  It made for quite the experience growing up, I assure you."

            "I can imagine what life was like for Darien, trapped with his three sisters as the only boy!" Sarah commented.

            "Well, we were the lucky ones, anyway.  Draco doesn't have any siblings, it must have been very lonely for him," Danika added.

            "I remember the way he used to look at us during the holidays.  All four of us, acting the childish fools, and he'd just sit there with his parents, always the proper Malfoy his father demanded," Gabrielle said softly.  The sad looks that the three Malfoy women exchanged at this moment startled Ginny, as she was forced to imagine what kind of childhood Draco must have had…She shook her head, unable to bear the weight of that image.

            "It warms my heart, dear, to finally see him with someone of his own.  After the life he's had…I shouldn't be saying anything about my husband's brother, but he was no kind of father to Draco, and I'm glad to see him with someone who makes him so happy.  I've always said that Draco is an old soul; he has carried many burdens for many years.  It's good that he has someone to help him carry them," Elizabeth said, taking Ginny's hand.  Unable to speak, unwilling to lie to this friendly woman who reminded her so much of her own mother and the way she had taken Harry under her wing, Ginny looked away, and she felt her cheeks burn.  It was very rare, now, that she blushed.

            "I don't know if you've ever noticed, but the way he looks at you when he thinks you're aren't looking…I never thought I'd see it," Danika said, giggling.

            "Hey, you're not the one that had to catch them snogging in the corridor the other day!" Sarah added, laughing.  The three sisters giggled even more as Ginny avoided their glances, her face absolutely flaming.

            "Now, now.  Leave the girl alone, we don't want to scare her off!" Elizabeth admonished jokingly.  "Oh, I don't know if Draco has informed you, or not, but this evening, we will be hosting a function here at the house and we would very much like for you to attend, of course."

            "What kind of function?" Ginny asked, throwing off her embarrassment immediately, sensing an opportunity.

            "Just a bit of a holiday get-together, really.  Some of Vincent's friends and business partners, politicians and the like, will be there.  Hopefully it won't be too dull for you, Virginia, we do want to give you a good time while you're here," Elizabeth smiled.  Ginny felt a slight degree of satisfaction – perhaps this trip wasn't going to be the complete waste she had envisioned last night.  If there was going to be a group of influential politicians in the room with her…she smiled inwardly, relishing in the knowledge that it would only take her a few minutes with each of them before she'd be able to arrange an array of appointments and meetings, preparing to do what she came here to do.

            "Mother, Ginny works in politics, didn't Draco mention that?" Gabrielle scoffed.

            "I wouldn't consider it actually working in politics, Gabrielle.  I'm merely a messenger for the politicians," Ginny said, remembering Draco's repeated warnings about not revealing her position.

            "I'm sure it will be lovely."

            "Especially for a Weasley, and one of Minister Fudge's most favored consulates, it will be quite the affair," a dangerously cool voice said, damaging the friendly and warm atmosphere of the cheerful kitchen.  Ginny used all of her discipline to refrain from jumping from the shock – why hadn't she noticed him lurking in the shadows?  The air seemed to grow thick, and Ginny found it difficult to breath, as she felt the weight descend on her lungs.

            "Darien, you really should quit lurking about, you nearly caused me to jump out of my skin!" Sarah scolded.  Ginny, unable to stop herself, met the cold gray eyes, identical to Draco's yet completely opposite, and suppressed a shudder.  There was a look of unveiled hatred in them that made her recoil.

            "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I should find Draco.  There are a few details I need to discuss with him," Ginny said, standing up, desperate to escape Darien's cold, hard scrutiny.

            "I'll show you where he is, Ginny," Gabrielle volunteered, following after Ginny's retreating form, shooting Darien a vicious look.

* * * * *

            "Ginny, look, now that we are alone, I would really like to talk to you," Gabrielle suddenly declared, breaking the silence.

            "Gabrielle, I think that we've already said everything that needs to be said between us," Ginny answered coolly, refusing to pause.

            "Draco told me that you know about the labyrinth!" Gabrielle declared, throwing caution to the wind.  Ginny stopped and turned around to face the blond woman.

            "Which means that I know what you and your family does.  Does that not scare you, Gabrielle?  If Harry were to find out about this…"

            "That's not all that is at stake here!" Gabrielle declared, defiantly.  Ginny was slightly taken aback, and had to fight back the sudden realization that there was more to Gabrielle that she had first thought.

            "If it comes down to it, Gabrielle, what are you doing to do?" Ginny asked.

            "My duty as a Malfoy.  While there is little I can do to help, I still have a responsibility as a member of this family and I will stand by that.  I just hope that Harry will be able to understand…and forgive me."

            "What do you mean, there is little you can do to help?" Ginny asked, picking up on what might have been a slip of the tongue.  Gabrielle looked away from her interrogative gaze, as if ashamed.

            "I can't help them.  I have no skills with the type of power required to do so."  Ginny, although she was almost five inches shorter than the other woman, pulled herself together and was making the taller woman quiver under her steely scrutiny.  A sudden realization hit her.

            "You are what this was all about," Ginny breathed, her irritation evident in her voice.  She had been drawn into this whole ordeal because of the woman.

            "That was before the attacks on the maze began.  Draco promised to help me.  You were coming to close to winning Bulgaria's support…if your new law on Dark Magic was signed, it would be very bad for my family.  Harry, as an Auror and as a man who hates Dark Magic with everything in him, would have to work against my own family.  Draco promised to try to change the law, so that my family would be safe, and so that Harry would never have to choose between his beliefs and his fiancée," Gabrielle sighed.

            "And now?"

            "I'm no longer important in this.  If your law passes, and we are forced to stop doing what is necessary to uphold the sanctuary, something terrible could happen."  Gabrielle, pausing, reached forward and grabbed Ginny's arm.  "You've seen them, you know why it's such an atrocity to even consider any harm coming to them.  You felt their magic, it's touched you – I can see it."

            "There has to be another way, Gabrielle," Ginny said, almost pleading.  She was put into an impossible position, and was searching around frantically for any way she could possibly be able to claw her way out of the corner they had her trapped in.  A family she had fallen in love with; ancient, mythical creatures that tugged at her heart and filled her with the same wonder she'd felt as a child still believing in fairy tales, and a duty that had scarred her identity and was behind her every action, clamoring for completion.

            "If you find one, please let me know.  I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, not after the horrible way I've treated you – and I hope you know that this was all a part of the plan, I really didn't want to say those things to you.  But, please, help us.  Not for me, or anyone else, just the innocent creatures that live in our forest and remind of a time before horrible things changed the wizarding world forever," Gabrielle pleaded.

            _Well_, Ginny thought, _she's obviously a Malfoy, because she definitely knew which buttons to press_.  With a sigh, she waved Gabrielle away, and stormed off, in search of Draco, in need of a very relaxing, furious rant to release her anger, and he was her best target.

* * * * *

            He had been wandering around the grounds of the estate for most of the morning.  Heedless of the snow covering the ground and the frosty chill in the air, Draco wandered away from the house and the forest, seeking distance from what was plaguing him.  He had found himself leaning against a large oak tree at the top of a hill, gazing down on the snow-covered forest.

            This was how Ginny found him: arms crossed, leaning lazily on the large tree behind him, a far-off look in his eye.  Any intention she had previously of unleashing her burning anger on him died as she observed something in him that was so rare – vulnerability.  His stoic silence as he looked down on the land of his ancestors, his black robes the only contrast to the white of the snow, the pale of his skin, and the silver of his hair on the landscape.

            He needed a few minutes away from the happy family of his aunt and uncle.  They had taken him under their wing and offered him the closest thing to real family he had ever known, and his jealousy of their connection plagued their relationship.  He loved them and he hated them; because they had everything he wanted.  He needed solitude and time in the peaceful barrenness that the wild of Bulgaria offered in the snow.  There was no sign of life around him and it mirrored his intrinsic loneliness.  He did this so that when he returned, he would be able to take pleasure in their company and quell the envy that would otherwise tarnish his time with his family.

            The soft crunch of snow drew his attention, and he saw her coming towards him.  Her hair, shaken loose in the high winds, was vibrant with life against the desolate white of the snow, the rich red hue practically glowing.  Her wide brown eyes offered warmth in the cold, and her reddened cheeks brought color to her black ensemble.  She was a symbol of life against the austere plains of snow, and the boiling passion that was just underneath her layer of ice held a promise of the fervor of life he so craved.

            He let her come to him.

            And she did, reaching the summit of the hill and stood beside him in silence.  They both spent a few moments looking down at the scenery below them; both taking in the forest and acknowledging what lay hidden there.  It was a weight of responsibility that they both shared, and this had become significant.

            "I need to know everything, Draco," she said, softly, yet her words carried a level of solemnity he hated to hear in her voice.  She looked too alive to be solemn.

            "There are things you are better off not knowing, Virginia.  Not just for your peace of mind, but for your own safety.  There is something coming and it could change everything."

            "I'm in this too far now.  You all made sure of that."

            "Not intentionally."

            "But it happened anyway.  What part does Voldemort play in this?" she asked, her voice hard as she spoke a name so often feared.

            "Brave little Weasley, that is not a name spoken easily by members of your family," he drawled softly, his voice silky, his eyes casting her a sideways glance.

            "When you've experienced what I have, you learn to say things that you fear and face them.  Running only gives it more strength," she said, her eyes veiled.

            "Well, to answer your question…the same role he always has, I guess.  Don't get me wrong, he has been very well defeated, we can thank Potter for that.  But there are still factions that exist that believe his ideals and that would follow through on his goals.  And they are the ones to fear; they are leaderless, extreme and in desperate need of power in order to accomplish anything.  Much more driven than any Death Eater ever would be," he scoffed, his disdain evident in his voice.

            Ginny turned to him, observing the man before her, debating whether or not to ask the question on her mind.

            "Why didn't you ever join them?" she asked softly, and gauged his reactions.  His wry smirk surprised her.

            "Simple arrogance, Virginia.  I'm afraid that I am not much more complex than that.  I was not about to bow down before a distorted figure who could barely grasp a wand and had been defeated once already by a baby.  I watched my father grovel at the primitive form of a wizard who claimed to have such a large degree of power, and it disgusted me.  Malfoys do not bow," he said, spitting his words out in disgust.  He paused, as if deliberating whether or not to say more.

            "And he was destroying the very creatures I have been sworn, as a Malfoy, to protect.  I was not about to let some disfigured wretch of a wizard violate the pledge that was made by my ancestors, no matter how much my father wished for me to.  Again, a matter of pride.  It would take a much greater force than him to breach our sanctuary."

            "But your father wanted to hand them over."  A statement of fact, no hint of questioning.  Just by watching him, she could see the answer.

            "Yes.  So I stopped him."

            His words hung in the air, the gravity of the situation echoed in their soft tones and quiet whispers.  This was not an exchange of words to be carried on the wind to the ears of others.  Ginny could feel the magnitude of his whispered confession, spoken with hardness and full acceptance.

            "But not before he killed my mother, and disclosed the fact that the sanctuary existed to the Dark forces," he added, his voice as cold as ice.  Instinctively and before she could stop herself, she reached out and took his hand, entwining her fingers with his.  She was barely able to breath from the intensity of the moment; of the power a simple touch was creating between the two of them.

            "We all faced losses during that time, Draco."

            "Somehow, I wish that helped," he said, a slight smile, absent of any humor, on his lips.  His tighten his fingers around hers, and the small gesture offered her comfort from the one she sought to comfort.

            "What do you want from me?  What role do you see me playing in this game?" she whispered, desperate for an opening that would allow her to disappear from this whole conspiracy, to forget about everything he'd shown her that was determined to change her life.  His words, that he spoke softly, with his fingers entwined around hers, carried an echo of regret – regret that he could not give her that opening.

            "Help me do what is necessary to protect what is mine."

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I now have a blog/live journal.  If you have any desire to read my random thoughts on random subjects, feel free to check it out: 

There certainly has been an influx of reviews lately…I'm going to take that as a positive and allow it to feed my growing ego. Haha.  On a serious note, thanks everyone for taking the time to review, especially those who review a lot, it's very encouraging and there is a lot of useful feed back that is so helpful.

Only one more exam, then eight days off, then the last exam (I know, it's stupid), then holidays, so expect more frequent updates, I'm going to aim for two updates a week, but I can make no promises, I have a lot to take care of during the holidays.

Enough babbling.  Until the next chapter.


	17. Seeing Her

Okay, here is the next chapter.  Before that, just to clarify a few things about the last chapter that I guess were a little vague:

*Gabrielle arrived the morning after the night Chapter 15 takes place on.  I just didn't write her arrival, just had her there at breakfast to keep the plot moving and focused on Ginny and Draco.

*The Malfoys are not protecting the unicorns because they are nice people.  It's all about duty to them.  One of the first Malfoy's was saved by that herd way way back in history, and in return, the Malfoys keep them safe, in retribution for that.  It's a duty and they choose to accept it because of their pride.  If they either stopped protecting the sanctuary, or failed to do so, it would be a huge blow to their pride and honor as Malfoys.

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**Chapter 17: Seeing Her**

_It was like magic_.  Watching the way that she worked the room, smoothly moving from person to person, pausing to speak to everyone, smiling enchantingly and efficiently wrapping every single political official around her finger before moving on was like watching magic happen before his very eyes.  It was flawless, her technique, her ability to make them laugh, to make it seem as though she was simply a guest at the party while pressing them for their cooperation, and earning it with so much enthusiasm.

            It was the first time Draco had seen her in action, working her 'diplomatic skills' on someone else, and it was enchanting to watch.  She was so animated; the stiff, cold Ice Queen that he was accustomed to seeing was not present in this room.  Virginia Weasley was relaxed, confident, friendly and witty.  She was earning admiring glances from some of the most important wizards in the country as they all recognized an accomplished, elegant and charming young girl, and were all eager to speak with her.

            He couldn't take his eyes off of her.  She was enchanting him the very same way that she was the senior Minister of International Magical Cooperation.  The poor old man had stars in his eyes as she spoke to him, laughing and playfully flirting with him, delighting him.  His wife stood beside him, a knowing smile on her lips, as she sensed no threat in the young girl laughing with her husband.

She was a flash of red in a sea of the pale-haired guests, with only a few dark heads in the crowd.  Draco's cousin Sarah had been able to convince her that her usual business suit wouldn't be right for this occasion, and had forced a silk dress the color of deep sapphire on her.  The tone of the dress accented her pale skin without making her look as gaunt as the black outfits she normally wore did, and the elegant cut of the dress clung to her soft curves, showing the barest hint of her pale skin.  Her bright hair was loosely clipped away from her face and tumbled down her back – such a rare thing, as it was normally secured in those terrible knots she was so fond of.  Altogether, she was a captivating picture of elegance and charm, and Draco felt his throat tighten as he watched her from the corner he was standing in, willing himself to look away but unable to.

"Cousin, she definitely is not the type of girl I ever expected you to bring home," Darien said as he sidled up to where Draco was standing.  Draco peered at him with a raised eyebrow out of the corner of his eye; disgruntled that he was disturbing his thoughts.  The memory charm had worked, as far as Draco knew, but he could sense Darien's predatory inclination towards Ginny, and it worried him.

"And what type of woman would you have me with, Darien?"

"The trophy wife, of course.  Beautiful, obedient and senseless, but with enough wits about her to know her place and not interfere.  This Weasley of yours is trouble, Draco, I can feel it.  Look at her, she's won over half the room, and it's only been an hour.  That Parkinson girl that you were seeing, she is more suited to your lifestyle, what happened to her?" Darien asked, as he watched Ginny, deep in conversation with Vincent Malfoy, with a sneer on his face.

"She was dull."

"But at least she was gorgeous.  I suppose I could make certain concessions for this little notion of yours, involved with a Weasley, if only she was beautiful.  Weasley is just so plain.  She's far too small, pale – and that terrible red hair, she's not even pretty.  I don't know what you see in her," Darien said.

"That's because you haven't seen her at all," Draco said softly.  Frowning, Darien looked from Ginny to his cousin and back again.  In the dimly lit ballroom, the candlelight had caught the shimmer in her dress and the sparkle in her eye as she laughed at something Vincent was saying, and Darien became silent – suddenly, inexplicable unable to speak.

* * * * *

            As she moved throughout the room, Ginny could feel him watching her from his cold eyes, tucked away in the corner.  Smoothing the slippery silk of her dress nervously, she smiled at the man explaining the differences in their wizard justice system.  She tried as hard as she could to concentrate, but that steely gaze on her was distracting her.

            She wanted to run and hide from it.  His eyes were stalking her like those of a predator eyeing his prey, and she had to repress the constant urge to shudder.  As the elderly judge continued his explanation, Ginny took a sip from her glass of wine to disguise what she was really doing – scanning the room to see if she could find Draco.  He was nowhere to be found.  She almost cursed under her breath as she spotted the tall, dark figure glowering at her through those cold eyes, but remembered quickly where she was.

            "So you see, Ms. Weasley, the differences between our two cultures make it our justice systems very different.  You are very concerned with making laws and restricting the use of magic based on how you classify it.  We, however, don't need to do that here."

            "But aren't you concerned that a Dark Lord will rise and threaten your entire country?" she asked, focusing her attention back on the judge.

            "That would never happen here, dear.  I know that all of you British Ministry folk are caught up in your rules, because of that problem you had with that Dark Lord of yours.  But the way that we practice magic is completely different."

            "But what would you do if someone were to start using magic to harm, torture and kill your citizens?  You have no types of law to do anything about that," Ginny protested.

            "That would never happen here."

            "It can't be that simple!" Ginny exclaimed, shocked.  The elderly man smiled indulgently at her.

            "I'm afraid that it is, Miss Weasley.  Our two countries have had very different histories, perhaps that is where the difference lies," he said.

            "Now, Judge Strum, there is a grievous crime being committed here that I feel I must bring to your attention," a cool voice said from behind her.  Jumping involuntarily, Ginny took a deep breath to steady herself before she turned around to greet Darien, her true feelings towards the man carefully masked.  Draco had told her to steer clear of him as much as possible – it didn't seem as if he remembered the event from the previous night, but his open contempt for Ginny had been a cause for concern.  He was hard to read, and Ginny felt instinctively afraid of him.

            "Sir, is it not a crime in Bulgaria for a beautiful young woman to be standing around, discussing politics on such a festive night when she should be dancing?" Darien drawled elegantly, with a sly smile that made Ginny's blood run cold.

            "It most certainly is, Mr. Malfoy.  I trust a fine, upstanding citizen such as yourself will be able to remedy this situation?" he said, with a wink in Ginny's direction.  Forcing a fake smile, Ginny had no other choice than to set her wine glass down on the table and allow Darien to lead her out to the dance floor, which had become spotted with a few handfuls of couples dancing to the music provided by the small orchestra of enchanted instruments.

            Ginny summed her discipline to force herself to quell her panic, and to keep from trembling as Darien took one of her hands, and placed the other on her waist before beginning to lead her around the dance floor.  She scanned the room once again, and almost sighed with relief when she spotted a familiar pair of eyes, glittering almost silver in the dim light, watching her.  As long as he was there, she knew she would be safe with Darien.

            "As you pointed out this morning, Darien, I am a consulate for my Ministry of Magic and political discussion is something I rather enjoy," Ginny said coldly, resentful that her discussion with Judge Strum had been interrupted.

            "I apologize, Virginia, but it seemed such a shame to waste beauty such as yours in such tedious conversation," he said, his cold gray eyes burning into hers.  She looked away uncomfortably.

            "I don't think that is why you asked me to dance," she said quietly.  All eyes had been drifting towards the young couple – as many were curious about the young lady that the most sought-after bachelor in Bulgaria seemed to be focused on.  Ginny did not want to draw any more attention to them as they already had.

            "So why did I ask, Ms. Weasley?" he hissed, his grip around her waist becoming tighter, forcing her body to press against his.

            "Because I threaten everything that you believe in."

            "There is no possible way that a Malfoy would ever be threatened by the likes of you," he said curtly.

            "The idea that a woman is engaging in politics, and successfully I might add, challenges what you believe about the role of women in your society.  You think that I should simply be an arm trophy, to stand around and smile indulgently as she is shown off, and disappear once the talk about serious matters begin."

            "Clever little witch, aren't you?" he hissed, his eyes narrowing, as his hand squeezed hers even tighter.  Ginny gasped slightly as his grip became painful.  She tried to push him away from her without causing alarm from the audience that was so intently watching her, but was unable to do so – Darien was too strong.

            She tried to spot Draco in the crowd, hoping that he'd come and save her.  As she stood on the tips of her toes to see over Darien's shoulder, her hand slid down from his shoulder to the middle of his arm.

            As soon as her hand made contact with his upper arm, she gasped suddenly and jumped back as though burned.  Surprised by her strange action, Darien released his grip around her.  She was clutching her hand, and staring at him with a look of horror on her face.  Her abrupt action had drawn the entire room's attention as everyone stopped to see what had happened.  The world was spinning before Ginny's eyes, and it took all of her will to keep the panic rising through her throat to completely overtake her.

            As the entire room watched in surprise, she turned and fled from the room.

* * * * *                                          

            Ginny ran as fast as she could in the slinky dress and the fragile heels she was wearing allowed.  Hallways blurred past her vision as she desperately tried to put as much distance between herself and Darien before the panic-attack completely overtook her.  Trying to make her way back to her bedroom, she stopped as she realized she didn't know where she was.

            She leaned against the wall, looking down at her shaking hands.  She could still _feel_ the heat from his arm, as if the magical mark underneath his sleeve had been burned into her flesh.  _It was the Dark Mark_, her mind was whispering over and over again, as she struggled to steady herself and draw even breaths to quell the panic threatening to consume her.

            Thundering footsteps echoed down the hallway, coming towards her.  Gathering her strength, she looked up just in time to see Darien storming towards her before his hands had grabbed her shoulders and hauled her up against the wall.  He leaned in, his eyes dark with fury.  Ginny struggled against his grip, fighting against him as hard as she could.  Just his touch was enough to cause her violent reaction to his Mark to be begin again, and it was draining all of her strength.

            "Does your family know what you are?" she gasped, struggling to breath.  He just stared back at her, restraining her attempts to free herself from his crushing hold on her.  "Do they KNOW what you are, what you have on your arm?"

            He darted forward, seizing her lips with his with a bruising force that shocked her.  Before she could even think, her legs were kicking against him, her arms flailing, trying to do whatever she could to break his hold on her.  His arms locked around her body, holding her firmly in place.  As her fear and desperation finally broke loose, Ginny felt a surge of power seize her body; a force she was unwilling to restrain, and she placed her hands on his chest.  A brilliant flash of red light illuminated the dark hallway, and Darien was thrown back from the power shockwave into the wall, and fell to the ground.

            He practically jumped up and grabbed her roughly around the waist as she tried to run away.  He forced her to turn, to face him.  She stared up at him with defiance; the only indication that she was terrified was the trembling of her lower lip.

            "Don't touch me, Death Eater!" she demanded darkly, struggling away from him.

            "You stupid girl!  There's no way you could possibly know about that.  How do you know?" he yelled, and cried out in pain as her sharp elbow jabbed his abdomen.  His arm swung back, poised as though ready to strike her.  Ginny closed her eyes, steeling herself for the blow – but it never came.  After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, and felt a wave of relief overwhelm her as she saw Draco, his arm restraining Darien's, with a dangerous look in his eye.

            "Don't ever raise your hand to a woman in my presence," he spat, his voice murderous.  "Especially one that is here under my protection."

            Darien released his grip on Ginny, and stumbled backwards a few steps, and Draco had stepped in between her and Darien.

            "Now, cousin, you will return to your parent's party and pretend that nothing has happened and you will remain there until the end of the evening.  If I ever catch you touching Virginia again, it will be the very last thing you ever do.  Am I being quite clear?" Draco continued, his voice soft and calm but laden with a thick menacing tone.

            "Perfectly," Darien sneered, before he turned and stormed away.  As soon as he was far enough away, Ginny let out a tremendous sigh, finally feeling able to breath normally again.  Draco turned to her, his eyes glowing in the dark hallway.  Sensing how fragile she was, how weakened her ordeal with Darien had made her, he placed a hand on her waist, supporting her.

            "Well, now, Virginia, that was quite a display of power back there," he drawled silkily, locking eyes with her.  "Why don't you tell me what that was all about?"****

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I hope you guys are in this for the long-haul, because I figure there is going to be at least ten more chapters!


	18. Questions with No Answers

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**Chapter 18: Questions with No Answers**

            "Why don't you just sod off, Malfoy?" Ginny spat back at him, jerking free of his grasp and storming blindly down the hall.  "I must have been a fool to think I could trust a bunch of Malfoys!"

            "What the hell are you talking about, Virginia?" he asked, his voice ringing with authority, following behind her.

            "You suckered me in, made me become quite fond of your family, spill your family secret and charm me with your notions of duty and this great sense of sacrifice that all of you are willing to make and this whole time, one of _them_ has been here all along!" she raged.  Draco reached out and grabbed her arm, and she swung around to face him, but avoided meeting his eyes.

            "How did you know about Darien?" he demanded, baffled.

            "And what's worse!  I agreed to _help_ you!  I actually _believed_ you!  I played right into your hand!" she hissed, pulling her hand away from Draco's grasp.

            "Shut up, Virginia and answer my question," Draco ordered softly.  She finally looked into his eyes, and her anger subsided slightly as she met the sparkling silver eyes, glittering in the light.

            "It's an after effect of my first year…" she said quietly, looking away.

            "Your first year?" he questioned.

            "Yes, my first year!  That's what I said, isn't it?  And I have your bloody father to thank for it, too, you know.  You should have told me!  I never would have agreed to help you if I knew that he was one of them!" she cried.

            "That didn't give me much incentive to tell you, now did it?" he asked, with a wry smirk that held no triumph and wasn't the slight bit smug.  It looked rather sad…

            "Ron was right," Ginny whispered, glaring back.  "He told me I couldn't trust you, that it was a mistake to come here, and yet here I am!"

            "Just because you cannot trust Darien does not mean that you cannot trust me," Draco said simply.

            "You're all the bloody same to me!  You are all Malfoys and I should have known better than to get involved in this mess!  You've trapped me in this ploy of yours with _him_!" she cried.  Draco reached out suddenly, taking her shoulders, forcing her to look up at his dark and dangerous eyes.

            "I am not my family, Virginia.  In the same way that you are not yours."

            "Of course I am my family, Malfoy!  Don't forget the way you chose to remind me of that every single day at Hogwarts!  You never chose to look past what you saw – the red hair, the secondhand books and the temper.  Why the sudden change of heart about the littlest weasel, as you so fondly called me?" Ginny yelled.

            "We can dance around in circles about this for hours if you'd like and you can rant and rave about my cousin as much as you please, but I have not forgotten what you just did there a few minutes ago.  I will not stop questioning you about it until you explain it to me," he said, with the tiniest hint of boredom in her voice that infuriated her even more.  But his return to the subject that she was instinctively desperate to avoid startled her, and the fire of her anger was doused rather abruptly.  She stepped back; retreated.

            "That was just…accidental magic.  You know the like, things that happen when witches and wizards let their emotions take control.  Harry blew up his aunt once, most wizards do things accidentally before they even have a wand.  And in this case, perfectly justified to get that filth you call a cousin away from me," she stammered, her answer gaining in confidence as she defended it with any example she could think of.

            "It was a burst of pure magic, Weasley, very powerful magic."

            "Only because I lost control!  There's nothing else to it, Malfoy so drop it!" she said, turning away from those searching eyes, desperate to be away from his scrutiny.  She stormed down the hall, practically running, seeking her escape.

            "It wasn't a loss of control, Virginia, and you know it.  I saw what you did; it was a calculated defensive use of magic.  You intended to do it, and it worked just the way you intended it to."

            "You don't know what you're talking about," she called angrily over her shoulder.

            "You are afraid of it.  Afraid to use it because in your narrow little view of the world, that power you used tonight is exactly the kind of magic you wish to see outlawed all across the wizarding world," he said.  With that she stopped.  Draco was fully expecting her to be furious with him over his accusation, but the emotions reflecting in her dark eyes as she turned to face him caused him to recoil inwardly, wholly unsure of what kind of force was about to be unleashed on him.

            "You call my view of the world narrow?  Could this possibly be the same Draco Malfoy who occupied his time torturing Muggle-born and Gryffindor because they were different from him?" she asked in a hard, cold voice.

            "What are you hiding from?  What was it that made you decide to throw away everything you could have been and put on your mask of ice that you wear so desperately?" Draco asked softly.

            "Things like what happened in the hallway, Malfoy.  That…kind of magic hurts people.  It tears families and futures apart, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that it is stopped," she vowed, her voice echoing the inner strength that he had glimpse so many times in the past few days, hinting that she would never break for anything.  She was too strong.  The strength of will that seemed to infuse her very being was one of the forces that kept drawing him to her – and yet, in order for everything to work out as planned, that will would need to bend.

            "And if it helps people?  If the kind of magic you so despise is actually not only doing good, but preventing a greater harm from occurring, is it still wrong in your books, Virginia?" he asked.

            It was the very question that had been torturing her ever since he revealed what was hidden in the depths of the labyrinth.  Everything she had been taught was fighting a terrible battle with her internal instincts, and she was unsure of how it would turn out.

            Draco watched her eyes as she digested his question.  The war that she was fighting within was obvious as he watched – and the façade was shattered as her beliefs and her moral conflicted, and much of the stable ground she had built her life upon began to shake.  Seeing her unstable and shaky was something he'd once thought impossible, but the further she was trapped in the plot – that not even he knew the full extent of – the more this became a common occurrence.  It unsettled him, the same way he was disturbed when she had shown up that one morning with that haunted look in her eyes, and as then, he needed to put a stop to it.

            She was about to say something, to answer his question.  Entirely unsure of what the answer would be, and certain that neither was ready for the answer, he did the only thing he knew.  Reaching forward, he gathered her body to him, and captured her lips with his.

            She immediately went rigid as she felt the initial contact, and tried valiantly to break free, but as he deepened the kiss, the sensations of his touch rippled through her body and combined with the quiet loneliness she'd struggled to ignore for so long.  As one of his hands softly moved for its position at her waist to softly caress his neck, she was lost.

            At one moment, she was cold and froze.  And he suddenly felt a change come over the woman in his arms – she had melted.  The change from resistance to soft compliance fueled the heat building between them.  The arm around her waist drew her body tighter, needing to feel as much contact with her as possible.  When he felt her responding fervently, as her arms reached up and circled around his neck, he thought he would loose his mind.

            Realization suddenly crashed through Ginny's mind, she stiffened once again, pushing him roughly away, stumbling slightly when he unexpectedly released her.

            "Stop doing that!" she cried, glaring at him accusingly.  He glared back defiantly.

            "It's the only way I know how to shut you up!" he snapped back.

            "I wasn't talking!" she protested.

            "But you were about to, Weasley!" he retorted quickly.  Rife with shock, she gasped, struck speechless by her indignation.  He was staring back at her, the usually cold eyes blazing.  When she would think back on it later, she would convince herself that it had been his eyes that had would motivate her next actions.

            She lunged forward, meeting his lips with a desperate fervor fueled by her unspent anger and her inner conflict.  The electrifying sensations that the feel of his lips on hers were causing sparked a need for more, igniting a passion that left them both breathless.

            She broke away, her hands clutching his robes.  Unable to speak or think, she buried her face in his chest, as she tried to regain her breath.  His hands were wrapped around her waist, offering a sense of security and warmth that had become so foreign to her.  He was nuzzling the sensitive skin of her neck, trailing soft, almost reverent, kisses along her jaw line.  A soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and allowed the sensation to overwhelm her senses.

            "Ginny…" he whispered softly, just once, acknowledging that _Virginia_ was a tool of her façade, and not the name of who she truly was.  The simple sound of his voice softly whispering her name in that manner spoke of how much he knew about her – how much he saw her – and the depth of that knowledge scared her. .  She moved slightly away, to look up at his face, unsure of how or why things had changed or what to do next.

            "Draco," she started to say, but he bent his head again, brushing her lips very softly, silencing her.

            "When I saw Darien put his hands on you, I wanted to kill him," he murmured, one hand brushing the hair away from her face, as his silver eyes met hers.  The truth in his words was apparent, and the knowledge that those eyes held startled her.  And the name, Darien, snapped reality back into place as the memory of the night's events became clear again.  She stepped back, breaking her contact with him, causing her body to scream in protest.

            "Our agreement this afternoon, that I would help you protect the sanctuary, did not extend to the protection of a Death Eater," she said shakily, watching his eyes carefully as she was unable to look away.

            "Nothing is as it seems, Virginia," he said softly, his eyes suddenly veiled and unreadable.  The weight of the night, of the entire ordeal that she was inextricably caught in came crashed down around her, crushing all the strength and control she had.  She took a shaky step back, away from the force pulling her towards him.

            "Just…stay away from me or the deal is over," she breathed, before she turned and ran away as fast as she could.

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I know it didn't answer all the "what's up with Ginny's power" questions, and I'm not purposely trying to annoy you by withholding all the answers…somewhere in my twisted mind, there is a plan.  Sorry just a quickie chapter, but it made sense to stop it there otherwise it would have been WAY too long.

Okay, few things:

The response to the last chapter was overwhelming, so I thank everyone who took the time to review, that was the biggest response I've ever gotten so far, and it's what forced me to plough through the tiny bout of writer's block I was suffering from and completely eradicate it to the point where I had to force myself to stop writing at it's now 2:45 AM and I have to meet my study group at 9 AM tomorrow…Props to Jade Summers for the comment that made me laugh right out loud! I hope to have one more update before the 18th.  After that, I most likely will not be updating until after the New Year.  I'm going home for the holidays and it will be a crazy time, full of craziness, family goodness and all that, and my laptop will not have access to the Internet (and following the Great Virus Fiasco of 2002, I have a fear of floppy disks that no matter how compelled, I will not insert one into my A drive). BUT I will have my computer with me throughout the holidays, and plan to write as much as possible, so that frequent and regular updates will occur over the holidays, so I plan to make it up to you somehow. 

Happy Holidays everyone!


	19. Corridor Discussions

**Standard fan fiction disclaimer applies (still).**

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Chapter 19: Corridor Discussions

            Draco watched as Ginny disappeared down the hall, and raked his hands through his hair in frustration.  She had him all mixed up inside; he wanted to throttle her at the very same moment he wanted to pull her into his arms.  She was infuriating, mysterious, frustrating, beautiful – and was supposed to be off limits.  It wouldn't do to mix his personal life in with the political gamble that he was currently embroiled in.  _That you also brought her into_, a guilty voice inside his head chimed.  He shrugged it off, and gazed wistfully down the hall, wishing he could follow her.

            "Seems to me, Draco Malfoy, that _that_ was not part of the plan," a cool feminine voice said from behind him.

            "Gabrielle, leave it alone," Draco muttered, as she stepped out of the shadows in the hallway to meet him.

            "What's going on between you two, Draco?"

            "As soon as I figure that out, I'll be sure that you are the first one to know, Gabrielle," he snapped.  Unaffected by his burst of temper, she persisted.

            "If anything happens to her, everything will be ruined.  You do understand that, don't you?" she questioned.

            "Right now, there are more important things to worry about than your love life.  The immaculate Potter and his reaction to discovering our family secrets is the very least of our worries," Draco said flippantly, brushing off her concerns.

            "Draco, you know that it's only a matter of days until we won't be able to stop them from breaking through our spells protecting the labyrinth.  By the full moon, I'd say.  That's only a few nights away.  Whatever it is that is out there…Ginny may be the answer to stopping it from getting in," Gabrielle said, her eyes suddenly taking on a strange gleam.  Draco was suddenly wary of his cousin's intentions.  There was something underneath them that alarmed him.

            "What are you talking about?" he asked cautiously.

            "Danika followed Darien when he chased after Ginny.  She saw everything," Gabrielle said, her voice grave.  Draco swore under his breath – both because he hadn't noticed his younger cousin in the same hallway as he was, and that she had already told someone.

            "And how does that change her role in things?"

            "Her power changes everything!  No one has ever been able to tell that Darien has the Dark Mark by just touching his arm!  And whatever she did to get him away from her…she could be very useful–"

            "No."

            "What do you mean, no?  We have a duty, the only noble legacy that this family has and you, of all people, should be the one doing whatever he can to uphold that!" Gabrielle stormed.

            "The reason she was brought into this was to change the Act before Bulgaria signs it so that we won't be forced, by law, to stop our magic that protects the sanctuary and so that you will be able to marry your Potter in peace.  Nothing more than that, Gabrielle," he said, his eyes dark and dangerous.

            "But Draco!"

            "NO, Gabrielle.  This is a Malfoy duty and she is not bound by it.  That is the end of this," he said, about to storm away.

            "Your father betrayed our family.  As his son, it falls to you to make things right.  I thought you would want to make it right!" she cried.  Her words stopped him, and turned back to her, his facial expression stony and his eyes clouded.

            "And how do you suggest I make things right, Gabrielle?  The traditional Malfoy way, where we use whoever we can to serve our purposes and damn the consequences to them?  You have forgotten two very important things: that is the reasoning that created this situation in the first place. Lucius used the unicorns to serve his own purposes and ignored the consequences of those actions.  But more importantly, while he was my father, it does not mean that I am like him.  I will be stronger.  I will find another way.  And I will make things right," he said, his voice stony.  He stood to his full height, towering over her, his eyes glaring down at her.  She looked away and stepped back.  He had won that round.

* * * * *

            Ginny's mind was in turmoil.  After she had finally been able to find her way back to her bedroom after wandering around the mansion for almost twenty minutes, she collapsed on the bed, struggling to keep herself calm.

            _He had called her Ginny_, she thought in despair.  Unwilling to allow herself to wander down that vein of thinking while she was in a state of emotional turmoil, Ginny forced herself to stand, and prepare for bed.  She was exhausted, unable to grab more than a few hours sleep at a time, and it was making her weaker, more susceptible to the dark magic at play in this house.  What she needed was a full night's sleep, uninterrupted by worrying thoughts, and more importantly, nightmares that she'd been able to suppress for over a year that had suddenly returned.  _At least you know why now_, she thought grumpily as she changed into her nightclothes, _Darien's connection to all things Voldemort through his Dark Mark is enough to bring them back with a vengeance._

As she climbed into bed, she stopped for a second and considered.  With a sigh, she walked back into the washroom and pulled a tiny vial out of her cosmetics bag.  Staring down at the vial of sleeping potion, she considered the importance of sleep versus the effects of the strong potion.  She needed to be on her guard here; that much she was fully aware of now more than ever.  The potion would make her sleep for a full eight hours – once she took it, it would be almost impossible for anything to wake her for eight hours.

            With a shudder, she remembered the images from her recurring nightmare.  Sighing, she drank the contents of the vial and returned to sleep.

* * * * *

            He was trudging wearily back to his bedroom that night, trying to be as quiet as possible.  After spending the necessary amount of time in the labyrinth, the rest of the Malfoys had returned to the manor and to their beds.  Aware that he was not going to be able to sleep with all the thoughts running through his head, Draco had stayed with the unicorns a while longer, watching them as though they could give him the answers he was looking for.

            It was a symbiotic relationship.  He worked his magic to protect them, and in turn, just by being in their company, they protected him.  The intrinsic magic about the creatures acted as a shield about him, causing all his worries, doubts and the demons from his past to slip away, allowing only the beautiful sight of the sanctuary and the silver creatures that dwelt within to reach him.

            There was such a dark contrast to that beautiful, moonlight meadow that was eternally fresh with summer, found in the middle of a snow-covered labyrinth in the middle of rural Bulgaria to the rest of his world.  Malfoy Manor, the home where he had spent his youth, was a cold and forbidding place, full of dark passages and drafty windows.  For him, Hogwarts wasn't the revered castle that so many students found it to be; it was just another building where he felt out of place and as though he didn't belong.  His seven years in that school had been dark and cold.

            As a child, when visiting his uncle's family, he would often sneak out into the woods, and find his way into the middle of the maze, only to be found the next morning, asleep among the herd.  It was his escape from the real world of a Malfoy heir – the world of deceit, constant plotting and scorn for anything that was different.   His aunt and uncle's home was refuge away from that world, and the center of the maze offered protection; a sanctuary for the innocence of a child who could watch a group of unicorns with eyes wide in wonderment.

            And it had ended as his father, in his eternal eagerness to further the cause of his Lord, breathed the secret that no one outside of the Malfoy family had ever heard before, threatening the oath sworn by the first Malfoy.  One lesson Draco had been taught was that the pride of the family was the most important thing in the world – duty as a Malfoy came before anything else in the world.  His role model in life, the man in whose footsteps everyone expected Draco to follow, had been the one to laugh in the face of that ancient lesson.  He had been weak.

            His thoughts were pushed aside abruptly as Draco saw a dark outline of a person looming near the door to his bedroom.  Sighing wearily, he crossed his arms and glared at the offending person.

            "Darien, I haven't the patience to deal with you at the moment.  Perhaps this can wait until the morning?"

            "Of course it cannot wait until the morning.  We have a lot to talk about, Draco.  Starting with your little witch!  How the hell did she know about the Mark?" Darien hissed angrily.

            "It seems that she has a lot more talent than just that of a diplomat.  I think we underestimated her," Draco answered, deep in thought.

            "This changes everything!  What was in your head that allowed her to wander into the center of the labyrinth?  To tell her the truth about what we do here?  She's the enemy in this, Draco, and she knows everything!" Darien railed.

            "How mixed up you are, cousin!  Virginia, while a stubborn and difficult woman, is hardly the enemy.  The enemies are those that are trying to gain access to the power of the unicorns we protect.  She was brought into this to make sure that their legitimate attempt to prevent us from stopping them – the Cooperation Act – does not succeed.  And she has already promised to do that, Darien.  Everything is working according to plan," Draco said.

            "Danika saw what happened in the corridor, what she did to me.  I persuaded her to keep quiet about it, but it's only a matter of time before she mentions it to the wrong person.  Ministry witch that she is, even I don't want the knowledge of her power to wind up in the wrong hands," Darien sighed, leaning against the wall.

            "Ahh, the redhead has gotten to you too, I see," Draco said with a smirk.

            "She makes me insane, cousin.  How does one person range through so many emotions in one short period of time?  She went from the charming little diplomat, to a terrified little girl, to a furious hellion in a matter of seconds.  Doesn't that make just make you crazy?"

            "She's quite the compelling mystery, isn't she?  But crazy or not, my warning still stands.  You lay a mere finger on her again, and it will be the last thing you do.  She's not for you, Darien," Draco said, his voice low and dangerous.

            "Don't worry, Draco.  I'm well aware of the fact that she is yours, though you don't say it.  She just…snapped my control tonight, that is all.  It is not very often that a Ministry wizard senses what I have on my arm, and it rather…startled me," Darien sighed, looking downcast.

            "It frightened you.  You thought that the past had been laid to rest.  But whatever it is that's out there, trying to break down our protective charms, is unwilling to let that be.  Things are going to start to happen now, I'm afraid."

            "And what will your Weasley say when she learns of the whole plot?" Darien asked, a slight smile on his face.

            "Bloody hell, I get a headache just thinking of the lecture I'll get," Draco muttered, to Darien's amusement.  A terrified scream, echoing in the corridor, interrupted their laughter as they were startled, jumping up at the sound.

            "I think your little hellion is having a nightmare again, cousin.  See that you tend her before the entire house wakes up and you have even more pesky little questions to answer," Darien called softly, as Draco practically ran down the hall, in the direction of both Ginny's room and the origin of the scream.

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Betcha you're all wondering what the hell is going on with Darien…*evil laugh* just wait…The dialogue got a little Tolkien-ish, I know.  I'm going through a "I am a classic British author wannabe" phase, and have finally started reading Lord of the Rings (light holiday reading) and have developed a little bit of a hero-worship of his dialogue style, which I seem to constantly try to imitate without even knowing.  Sorry.

Hope everyone had a good holiday.  I know I did, except for the fact that I, and all of my family, were attacked by the killer flu that seems to becoming rather epidemic-ish in my area of the world (or at least the media would like you to believe that).  I swear, almost everyone I know has it.  Stupid super-viruses.

Now, I said earlier that over the holidays I would have time to write a lot and be ready in January with a bunch of updates…but due to illness (see super-virus rant above) and unexpected holiday plans, that didn't so much work out as planned.  I did get two long chapters done, this being the first, the second will be up as soon as I have a chance to edit it a bit. (BTW, I don't have much patience for proof reading…My main concern is getting the new chapter posted.  Edits will come after.)  Anyway, sorry for the break, more will be coming (hopefully) regularly!


	20. A Weight Lifted

I was sitting in the theatre a week ago, watching the greatest fantasy film ever created, and all I could think about was this chapter.  How to make it work, how to make sure that Draco wasn't getting too far out of canon and how to put what I could see happening in mind into words so that other people could see it.  There I was, watching this fantastic EPIC film and this was all I could think about!  It was positively distracting!

 By the way, it was the Return of the King, for those who couldn't guess.  Other than my distracting thoughts about this story during one certain part, I was captivated and enchanted throughout the rest of it, and if you haven't seen it, you should because it is an experience, to say the very least, and also because I've recently become a hopeless Tolkien-fan and I think everyone should see it.  But I digress, on to the chapter…

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**Chapter 20: A Weight Lifted**

The weight of terror was pressing down on her, drowning her.  Gasping for air, she struggled to stand, to move, to shed the shroud of fear that the nightmare had cast on her.  Flailing around for the lamp on the nightstand beside the bed, she willed herself to wake up, to break free of her nightmare.

            Her clumsy reach sent the lamp crashing to the ground, casting the room once again into darkness.  Using all of her willpower to stand up and try to overcome the powerful sleeping potion she had taken before going to bed, she lifted herself off the bed.

            _"Ginny! Behind you!"_

Stumbling blindly in the dark, her foot crunching over the broken glass of the lamp, she whirled around, searching for the voice, searching for the danger it was warning of.

            _"Behind you!  Behind you!"_

            "There's nothing there!" she protested weakly, her eyes half-closed as she fought off the sleeping potions' effect.

            _The weight of the darkness was pressing down on her, making it impossible to breath, to even move._

She had to get out of the house, away from the power that was bringing these nightmares back.  Conscious thought was fighting against the memories of her subconscious, battling for control.  She had to get out.

            _A brilliant flash of green light illuminated in the darkness, and he fell with a sickening thud against the ground._

            "NO!" she screamed in the dark, running towards what only she could see, desperate to change the events that had happened so long ago.  She tripped and nearly fell, as her foot stung painfully.  She could hear the crash of the door opening and a voice echoing, so very far away.  It was clouded by the laugh.  The cold, maniacal laugh that haunted her, that chilled her to the bone and was blocking out every other sound.

            It was getting desperately harder to breath.  She was gasping, sobbing for air, to shake off the terror that was controlling her.  With a cry of pain, she forced her eyes to fully open, to focus in the dark.  A dark figure outlined by the light streaming in through the open door was standing before her, calling her name.  She took a shaky step forward, reaching out, catching a shining glimpse of silvery eyes in the dark.

            She willed her eyes to see, her limbs to move and her ears to hear.

            "Virginia, is everything all right?" his voice broke through the distortion of the nightmare.  His hand was reaching out to support her as she stumbled forward.

            "Draco, help me get away from here," she managed to choke out, between wheezing gasps for air, before the world turned black, and she collapsed.

* * * * *

            Someone had opened the drapes in her room, and the bright sunshine of morning was currently trying to blind her through her closed eyelids.  Ginny stretched lazily, sighing in the warmth of the light, and cautiously opened her eyes.  Wincing in the confounded brightness that invaded her sight, she turned her head away and buried it in the blanket covering her.  After a few moments, she gasped as the prickling feeling of soft grass brushed her cheek and she realized she had no idea where she was and how she got there.

            Tentatively pushing the blanket that covered her face down from over her eyes, she sat up as she recognized where she was.  She was lying underneath the ancient oak tree by the pond in the middle of the secret grove hidden in the middle of the labyrinth.  As she sat up, she realized that what she thought was a blanket was indeed a long black robe.  Folding it back and away from her, she surveyed the area, searching for its owner.  As she took in the landscape, she was startled as she realized that she felt as if a giant weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and as though she could breath freely.

            She spotted him easily, across the field, standing among the herd.  Dressed, as per usual, all in black, he was an incredible contrast to the silvery creature whose head he was stroking.  She watched in awe, as he leaned over, laying his head against the unicorn's neck as an owner would to a beloved pet.  She was struck by the tenderness she could see; the ease and the bond that seemed to exist between human and magical creature.  _If he doesn't soon start acting again like the bloody bastard he was from Hogwarts…I don't know how to handle him_, she thought to herself as she watched him.  Just when she thought she had pegged, he shifted things around and she was left, again, guessing what the best strategy would be to deal with him.

            She looked around her, and let her eyes drink in the peace and beauty around her.  The ancient magic of the meadow seemed to seep into her skin, reviving her spirits and banishing the fear that had been growing the more time she spent in that house.  Draco had brought here there.  He had helped her when she was the most vulnerable she'd been in years.  No one had seen her in the midst of a panic attack in years – he was the first to ever see her when she was trapped in one of the nightmares.  Shaking her head, to quell the mental listing of his endearing qualities her subconscious was beginning to draft, she stood up, letting the cloak slide to the ground.

            She shivered slightly as her warm skin was greeted by an icy wind, and she noticed that she was wearing only the flimsy little shift she had worn to bed.  Her face colored slightly, as she picked up the discarded cloak and wrapped it around herself, and began to make her way over to where Draco was standing.

* * * * *

            He turned, catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye.  He caught sight of her as she walked towards him, and his breath caught in his throat.  She looked small and fragile, engulfed in his dark cloak, which was ridiculously too large for her, her arms crossed protectively in front of her.  And yet, the breeze caught her hair, that was not tied back for once, blowing the long strands around wildly, and he searched her eyes, and saw the wild, passionate spirit that she often kept hidden and trapped beneath her layers of ice.  She was a complicated contradiction, and it fascinated him to no end.

            He was running out of excuses.  The first time he had kissed her, he had excused it as a part of the ploy; a way to keep off track, to throw her off and to unsettle her.  The time in the hallway was to silence her, as his cousin walked by and could have easily overheard their conversation.  But the night before…there was no reason for that, beyond his own personal desire to kiss her.  Their "partnership", based on the agreement that she would help him, was becoming dangerous to them both.  She was unwilling or unable to let anyone get close to her, and he was coming very close to doing that.  He was at a point in his life where there was no place for any woman, especially not a Weasley and a Ministry wizard!

            _She is a Weasley_, he had to keep reminding himself.  _You and her brother hate each other, and Potter is your mortal enemy.  Your father and hers hated each other.  We were in opposite houses, we are complete opposites. She is a damn WEASLEY!_ The voices in his head were constantly shouting at him, as he watched her walk closer to him.  It was more difficult to accept someone as an equal than it was to learn to hate, and his father had taught his lesson well.  His defense of Ginny to Gabrielle the night before came back to him and he remembered his words to her: _And how do you suggest I make things right, Gabrielle?  The traditional Malfoy way, where we use whoever we can to serve our purposes and damn the consequences to them?_

The problem was that he did not know what was out there, what was working magic against the Malfoys.  He didn't know the strength of it, or its intent – only that the destruction of the Malfoy's promise to protect the sanctuary for life was in danger, as well as the creatures themselves.  His duty as a Malfoy – and his burning desire to right the wrong his own father had created, needed to come first.

            His emotions could not get in the way.  Nothing could – not even the fascinating little redhead that was making her way towards him.

* * * * *

            "Unicorns are known to be very shy around men, Malfoy, but they seem to trust you completely," Ginny said, as she approached the center of the herd, noticing how most of the creatures sidestepped away out of her reach, keeping their distance from her.

            "I grew up among them, they don't have any reason to fear me.  I'm a Malfoy.  I'm one of those working to protect them," he explained, his voice cool and stony.

            "I see," Ginny whispered, as she tentatively reached out to stroke the flank of the unicorn that Draco was stroking.  She sighed softly as her fingers brushed the silvery coat, marveling at the feeling of peace that overwhelmed her upon contact.

            "Weasley, I realize that your genetic pool predisposes you to bouts of stupidity, but perhaps you could at least _try_ to overcome that disadvantage," he suddenly said, breaking the silence.  Ginny's head snapped up; any thoughts she'd been having of how much he'd changed from the prat she'd known before, or of the endearing qualities she was coming to know vanished the moment her family was insulted, and she felt her temper begin to boil dangerously.

            "Bouts of stupidity?" she seethed.

            "Have I not warned you of the danger here?  Can I not make it any clearer that you need to always be on your guard?  Taking a strong sleeping potion that you cannot be roused from is one of the most foolish things you could have possible done!" he raged.

            "If you hadn't trapped me in a house with a bloody Death Eater, I wouldn't have had to take it!" she yelled back.  The herd surrounding them, upon hearing their raised voices, grew unsettled and restless.

            "What does that have to do with anything?" he demanded.  Ginny paused, wondering how much she could trust him with.

            "Look, I have my end of the deal covered.  I'll be rewriting the Cooperation Act where it concerns Bulgaria, I'll pitch it to Fudge in a few days, and once I have his approval, all you have to do is get me a meeting with Bulgaria's Minister, and that danger is over.  And then I'm done with you, and all of your Malfoy business.  So let's just leave everything at that," she cried, her eyes narrowed.  Draco gave her a searching look, knowing that she was changing the subject away from the subject she did not want to address.

            "Fine.  We'd best get back to the house before everyone is awake and sees us coming," he said, voice hard and cold, as he walked away without a backward glance to make sure that she was following.

* * * * *

            "Good morning, Virginia," Elizabeth said, as Ginny entered the kitchen later that morning, showered and dressed, erasing all remnants from her night spent outdoors.

            "How are you this morning?" Ginny asked with a smile as she was given a cup of tea and pushed into a seat at the table with Sarah and Danika.

            "Terrible!" was Sarah's reply.  Ginny looked at the girl, and noted her surly face and fantastic scowl.  _Definitely a Malfoy trait_, Ginny laughed to herself.

            "Sarah was all prepared to do some shopping today in your Diagon Alley.  She had a parcel to pick up at Flourish and Blotts, but when she got there, she found everything closed and the place practically deserted," Elizabeth explained.

            "Apparently it is some great holiday for all of you British wizards," Sarah mumbled.  Ginny felt her blood run cold as she heard this.

            "I'm sorry, what day is it?" she asked quietly, clutching at the warm cup of tea to keep her hands from shaking.

            "The 17th of December," Danika answered.  Ginny shot up out of her chair, startling the woman around the table.

            "I'm so sorry, everyone, but I have to return to Britain. I forgot about an appointment I have that I can't possibly miss," she said shakily, as she backed out of the room, hurriedly.  "If you could please tell Draco that I'll return later tonight?"

            "Of course, dear.  Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, following her to the edge of the room, noting Ginny's face had gone white, as though all the blood had drained out of it and that she was shaking.

            "I'm fine.  Just…in a hurry, because this is a standing appointment that I shouldn't have forgotten about, that's all," Ginny said, before she took off down the hall, towards the study where the fireplace was kept burning and a pot of Floo Powder awaited her.

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Well, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, because my experience of the Return of the King was sacrificed because of it! Ha ha!  Just means I'll have to go see it again…sacrifices I make for HP fanfiction, eh? ha

Is Draco still in character, or is he so far out of canon that I shouldn't even try to bring him back?  I tried to make it so that any differences between this Draco and J.K. Rowling's have created due to his life (that's why I prefer post-Hogwarts stories, btw), but I have a feeling I'm getting way out in left field here…any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

P.S.  Thanks as always for the reviews!  They've made posting my story worthwhile!

My author notes seem to get longer and longer with each chapter…


	21. Search Party

**Standard disclaimer still applies.**

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**Chapter 21: Search Party**

Making his way through the different offices of the Ministry of Magic should have been very difficult for ordinary wizards, especially considering the date, but Draco Malfoy was not an ordinary wizard.  He was, after all, a Malfoy.  It didn't hurt at all that he was so closely linked with Fudge, due to his influence in Bulgaria, but the part of his brain that still regarded his lineage as superior rejoiced to see that his name alone could still demand respect.  The lower rungs of the Ministry workers, those that were not important enough to be involved in the traditional ceremonies and services of the day barely gave him a second glance as he made his way through the building.

            He reached the office he knew wouldn't be empty, even on this day, and entered without knocking.

            "Malfoy, aren't you supposed to be in Bulgaria?" Harry Potter, his voice tight and strained, looking annoyed at the intrusion.

            "Aren't you supposed to be out hunting evil wizards?" Draco answered, an eyebrow raised.

            "On the 17th?  Clearly impossible, given this day marks the anniversary of Voldemort's death," he sighed.  If Potter was seen anywhere in public on this day, he would instantly be mobbed – it was a well-known fact among the wizarding community that he was never a part of the services or festivities of the day for this reason.

            "Too true, Potter."

            "So, what can I do for you, Malfoy?  Surely the desire to keep me company isn't what brought you all the way out here, so what do you want?"

            "To see if your skills at fighting the Dark Arts are actually as proficient as everyone seems to think they are.  Do you have any information for me?"

            "I can only confirm what you've been suspecting.  There's something going on.  I've had reports of a certain spellbook gone missing, of ingredients of a peculiar nature being sought after, and of a group of wizards that no one seems to be able to name.  Someone is planning something, and it all connects to your family land in Bulgaria."

            "Connects?  How?"

            "Malfoy, I know what lives on your land.  I'm an Auror, it's my job to know.  The spellbook that is missing – there's only one in the world, and it contains a certain spell."

            "Let me guess, the main ingredient would be unicorn's blood," Draco sighed wearily, fearing Potter's confirmation of this concern.

            "Yeah.  We're not too sure what the spell does, because so little is known about the properties of unicorn's blood in the first place – other than it can sustain some form of life in a being that may or may not be alive.  Remember Professor Quirrell?  When Voldemort possessed him, he'd drink the blood of the unicorns in the Forbidden Forest to sustain Voldemort when they were trying to get the Philosopher's Stone."

            "That's when most of them retreated from the known wizarding world, and came to our sanctuary.  Only a few didn't come and only because they couldn't, some wizards kept them as pets," Draco explained, his disgust in that idea plain in his voice.

            "Right.  So whoever is attacking your protective charms needs the unicorns for their blood.  And I'm going to assume that it has something to do with immortality or something along those lines.  Have you heard of anyone in your circles talking about, maybe raising a new Dark Lord, or bringing one back from the dead?" Potter asked, his eyes dark and serious.

            "In my circles?  Well, I suppose that being a Malfoy does make me an evil bastard and naturally I would therefore assort with the lowest rung of society.  But evil bastard aside, I do have priorities.  If I had heard something 'among my circles' as you put it, I would have no need of you and your information, I would have taken care of this myself," Draco said, preparing to turn and leave.

            "Just remember, Malfoy.  The full moon and it's all over, and my Aurors move in.  You won't be able to withhold much longer."

            "I shall ensure that it won't come to that," Draco said.  "Now, have you seen Ginny Weasley?  She left for some important meeting, but considering the holiday, I can't imagine who she would be meeting."

            "Probably with her family.  They always celebrate together today," he answered, the slight tinge of bitterness unmistakable in his voice.

            "Cheer up, Potter.  Gabrielle will probably swing by in a few hours, she's been whining rather pathetically about you for the past few days.  Enough to make a fellow sick, really," Draco called out, as he swept out of the office, in a hurry.

            Sitting alone in the practically empty building, Harry Potter smiled slightly, the thought of Gabrielle joining him on his self-imposed isolation making the day less bleak and brighter somehow.

* * * * *

            Molly Weasley was busily fussing in the kitchen of the Burrow, happy in the bustle and confusion that came along with having her entire family surround her.  Her children and their wives and _their_ children…it made for a chaotic meeting, but with so many of her boys working gin the Ministry of Magic, the time rarely came when they could all meet together.  It usually happened only on the 17th, the day celebrating the final defeat of You-Know-Who, and the end of the dark cloud of fear that had hung over her for so long, in fear for her family members.  It was a day for family, to rejoice in the knowledge that they were all safe again.

            Which is why she was so surprised to hear a knock at the door.  She couldn't remember anyone ever visiting on this anniversary, and all of her children were already there.  Wiping her hands on her apron, she opened the door, and nearly fainted when she was met with the tall, blond man that could have been Lucius Malfoy twenty years ago.

            "Mrs. Weasley, I was wondering if I could have a few words with Virginia?  We have some important business to attend to," Draco Malfoy said slowly, observing the small woman in front of him, who seemed to be frozen.

            "_Malfoy?_ What on Earth are you doing here?" an outraged voice cried from behind her.  Ron Weasley stepped outside, his face already red with his anger.  Draco sighed; he had hoped to avoid any confrontation with him.

            "Just have something I need to discuss with Virginia, Ministry stuff, Weasley.  Do you think someone could get her?"

            "Mom, when did Gin get here?  I didn't hear her come in," Ron said, looking to his mother.  She stared blankly back at him.  Her eyes widened suddenly as realization sunk in.  

            "Ron, I don't think she's come yet," Molly Weasley said.

"Gin!  Ginny!  There's a great big git at the door for you!" Ron hollered into the house, drawing a moment of silence before chaos was reinstated, and the din returned.  "Sorry, Malfoy, looks like you're out of luck.  If she's not here, that means she probably had some meeting or country to visit that's more important than you."

"You could try her office.  I imagine that if she did have some work to take care of, she'd be there," Molly said, with a disgruntled look at her son's rudeness.

"Naw, Mom, doesn't she normally spend this day with her Ministry officials?  You know, all the official ceremonies and all?  That's where she was last year, wasn't it?" Ron asked, his angry face taking on a look of puzzlement.

"Well, if anyone will know, it will be Clarice, her secretary.  I can't for the life of me remember if she was with us or not last year," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Thank you, I'll try her there," he said, before Apparating back to London.  With a shake of the head, he wondered over the famous Weasley family, who was supposed to be the picture of a perfect family – devoted parents, close siblings who were all friends with each other…and not a single one of them had realized that Ginny wasn't there among them.

* * * * *

            Clarice was waging war in Ginny's office – reorganizing her filing system, a task that the busy diplomat hadn't been able to do since the day she moved into the office.  A few years of conducting backroom deals and meetings with the most influential tier of the wizarding political world left the woman quite a feat.  A distraction that she welcomed on this day, in particular, therefore she was quite enthralled in sorting and organizing files, and was quite startled to see the one and only Draco Malfoy, almost hidden in the dark of the doorway, leaning casually against the doorjamb as he watched her work.

            "Oh my goodness, I almost didn't see you there!  Most of the Ministry is closed, there's no one about but me!  Anything I can help you with?" she stuttered, recovering from her shock.  Indeed, the rest of the Ministry building was almost deserted – a few guards here and there, but most of it was dark and empty.

            "I'm looking for Ms. Weasley, and was told that you might be able to tell me where to find her," he said, his gray eyes solemn.  Clarice flinched slightly, and hesitated before answering.

            "Ms. Weasley has a yearly tradition on this day, a standing appointment as she calls it, and that is a matter of her own business," Clarice answered carefully.

            "Look, Clarice, right?  I've been looking for her everywhere, and no one seems to know where she is, or what it is that she does today.  Except for you.  Please, just tell me where I can find her, it's important," he said, taking a step forward.  The small woman gazed up at him – the tall, powerful son of Lucius Malfoy, and nearly trembled from the memory it evoked.  Forcing herself to look him squarely up and down, and assess what Ginny would want her to do, she paused in her scrutiny as she reached his eyes.  There was something hidden there that dissolved her uncertainty.

            With a sigh, she told him reluctantly where he could find her boss.

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I know, it was kind of a nothing chapter, but I had to stop it or it would be 17 pages long, because the next part is THE chapter, where a lot is revealed, and that sucker should be up Sunday night or Monday at some point (my time).

Kudos to those who guessed the significance of the date being the anniversary of the defeat of Voldemort.  This just came from me and my crazy mind, and has no significance outside of my story (because it hasn't happened in the books yet, and as far as I know, the 17th is just any other day) for those that were wondering.

Thanks for the reviews!!!


	22. In Victory Field

Haven't even proofread this sucker yet, I was too eager to post it.  Edited version will be up shortly.

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**Chapter 22: In Victory Field**

It was a dark place, damp and desolate.  As if the elements themselves understood that this was a place devoid of any happiness, a shroud of fog always seemed to hang about, blocking any sunlight that may enter, and keeping a bleak chill in the air.  It was a dark place, and it was eternally lonely.

            She wasn't the only person there; she could hear the low and solemn voices of others, stretched out over the immense area, but she could not see anyone – the dreary fog made certain of that.  In the isolated corner of the yard where she stood, a giant black oak tree stood, separating this corner from the rest, isolating it from the rest of the monuments.

            Ginny crouched down low, before the tombstone, running her fingers over the engraved letters set in the cold stone.  She looked away; unable to face the guilt of so many years ago.  A guilt that was made worse by the fact that she had almost forgotten about her yearly vigil at his grave sight – she had been distracted, too caught up in her musings about Draco and whatever it was that was happening between the two of them.

            She had been unable to forget, for the longest time.  The nightmares, the panic attacks, the constant fear were all ways constantly reminded her of that night, six years ago, which kept the guilt eating away at her at all hours of the day.  For the longest time, she allowed herself work and tried to cast off the shadow that plagued her through her success.  And it had worked.  As long as work was her entire life, as long as everything she had was thrown into achieving her goals, the guilt and the nightmares had dimmed, falling away from the forefront of her everyday life.  As long as she froze everyone out, she didn't have to feel it.

            But now…not only had she allowed someone close, but she had forgotten.  Her solitary day spent in vigil, paying her respects to his grave – to his memory and what it meant to her life – the only way she acknowledged what had happened, and she had forgotten about it.

            With trembling fingers, she again traced the name etched in stone, and struggled to shut out the images that had been haunting her nightmares out of her mind, forcing herself to freeze out the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.

* * * * *

            Fighting back the reluctant urge to shiver as he navigated through the overgrown paths of the cemetery, Draco Malfoy scanned the misty landscape for the brightness of Ginny's red hair.  Clarice had not been very clear about exactly whose grave Ginny visited each year, but she had given him some idea of how to find it, in the immense field he currently found himself in.

            He'd heard about this particular grave yard before – there wasn't anyone who had lived through Voldemort's second reign of terror who didn't know at least one person who had ended up there.  But he'd never been there, hadn't been able to bring himself to see the kind of carnage that had befallen the wizarding world.  He never thought that it would be so large – that the Victory Field Cemetery would contain so many stone tombstones.

            As he passed by the rows, reading the names etched forever in stone, he felt a strange twinge in his stomach every time he saw a name that he recognized – Marcus Flint, Dean Thomas, Millicent Bulstrode, Lee Johnson, Vincent Crabbe, Severus Snape.  They had all died in those turbulent days; no matter what "side" they chose, they were all commemorated in this spot.  As he paused in front of his former Potions Master's tombstone, for the first time he felt regret over his inaction.

            He hadn't chosen a side; he had escaped to Bulgaria, citing the family duty as reasons for his inactivity.  His father, disappointed that his son was not following in his footsteps, but satisfied in his reasons, had encouraged the rumor that Draco had been killed mysteriously, figuring that if the time ever came when his son was needed to help in his cause, the possibility of the element of surprise was appealing.

            He looked away from the gravestone, almost in shame.  He had vowed he would never bow before mangled and deformed creature that had the nerve to call himself the Dark Lord, but he had never done anything to prevent his rise to power, either.  Until the day came when his own father – mentor, role model and guide – had chosen his allegiance to Dark over his vow as a Malfoy, and had betrayed his family in the most terrible way.  That was the day that Draco had been forced to take action.  The day that Lucius Malfoy had died.

            Shaking off the grip of that memory from his mind, he swiftly turned away, and continued up the path, searching again for Ginny.  His aunt had related the abrupt way that Ginny had left that morning, describing the stricken look on her face, and the panic that she was trying to keep hidden.  Upon hearing this, Draco had immediately felt compelled to find her – her nightmare still fresh on his mind.  The way she had been completely debilitated – victimized – by whatever nightmare was haunting her had sparked in him a compulsion to protect her, to erase the memory of whatever it was that terrified her so, to keep it away any way that he could.

            That was probably the reason he had brought her to middle of the labyrinth, he figured.  It was the one placed where his past did not haunt him, the magic of the unicorns (which was becoming increasingly weaker) would protect her from any harm.  Their acceptance of anyone into their field was very rare, but they seemed to sense her need for their magic the same way that fateful unicorn had in the first Malfoy.  They wanted to help save her.

            _But from what?_ The blasted voice in his head asked.  This was a question that he had been playing around in his mind since that day he had walked into her office.  He wondered about the reason the layers of ice had built up, about her crusade to end the use of all Dark Magic, about the reasons she refused to acknowledge the power she had and to use it.  The mystery about her was what had initially drawn him in; but now, it was merely frustrating.  He need his answers, he needed to understand her.

            In the far corner of the field, nearly hidden by the ancient oak tree looming ominously overhead, he caught side of a small figure, crouched in the snow.  Recognizing the bright hair, such a shock of color in the desolateness of the cemetery, he walked over.  He stood behind her in silence, watching her as she stared straight ahead of her, at the name etched in the stone, and the mystery about her suddenly all fell into place.

            The name of the grave read _Neville Longbottom_.

* * * * *

            She heard his footsteps crunching in the snow behind her, but didn't turn around.  She could feel his gaze on the back of her neck, and knew instantly whom it was that stood behind her.  She didn't need to turn around; it figured that the only person that would come to his grave on this day was the one person in the world she did not want to see at the moment.  He remained silent, and his lack of words weighed more heavily on her than even his presence.   She decided to break it.

            "Harry, Ron and Hermione used to come with me every year.  But they eventually forgot about it.  Everyone forgets," she said softly, biting back a shiver as the chilly wind picked up and tossed her hair about her face.

            "But you can't," he commented, taking a step closer, standing beside her.

            "I won't.  I almost did, this morning you know.  And it was a good feeling, to wake up feeling warm and safe the way that I did and to think about what the day might hold.  But when I realized that I had forgotten about it, it was a terrible feeling, because I shouldn't forget, not about him.  Not today."

            "Forgetting, no.  But maybe it is time to let go?" he asked, his voice low and soft.  At that she turned to face him, pulling away violently from his as he tried to put his hand on her shoulder.

            "Six years ago today, he saved my life.  He died so that I could live.  That is not something that you can just let go!  What do you know about it?" she demanded, her eyes blazing and wild.  He said nothing but just stared at her with his cloaked gray eyes.  They seemed to be probing her, searching for an answer.  She turned away quickly, and sighed before she crouched low to the ground again.

            "So many people called it a war.  But it wasn't a war.  Those are supposed to have some kind of glorious end, something to justify the waste that comes along with it.  But there was no glory here, because nothing could ever justify the waste.

            "It was silly, really.  I can't even remember why we were there.  I think Harry had some feeling about an attack on the Order of the Phoenix, and Neville and I tagged along, unwilling to be left out.  We wanted to help, so we followed along.  I practically had to hex Ron into letting me come, but we managed to convince him.  When we got to Sirius' house – the headquarters for the Order – everything was dark and quiet.  Eerie.  We were so certain that we were too late, and we were afraid that the worst had happened.

            "But then we heard the laughter.  His laugh is very distinctive, you know.  Once you hear it, once you know that the feeling of cold ice stabbing into your stomach is actually someone's laughter, you can never forget it.  Tom Riddle may have changed when he became Lord Voldemort, but his laugh didn't.

            "I don't know what we were thinking, five children racing into a full-fledged wizards fight, but that's exactly what we did.  One minute we were in the main hallway, the next thing I knew, I was crouched behind chair, trying to avoid the curses being thrown at me.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had all run ahead, leaving us behind.

"Bellatrix Lestrange was right in front of me, she didn't know that I was there yet.  I remembered what she had done to Harry's godfather, about all the terrible things she had done to so many people, and the chance was right in front of me.  I was about to stupefy her, when suddenly Neville was yelling at me to turn around, that there was someone behind me.

"Before I could do anything, I saw him run towards me, and I saw her turn around.  His wand was pointed at something behind me, I saw the spell shoot out of it, and I heard the person behind me fall to the ground, bumping into my knees. I tripped, and my wand snapped when I fell.  Bellatrix Lestrange had turned around when she heard him, and had finally noticed me.  She aimed a curse at me, and Neville, seeing her, jumped between the two of us, shielding me from it, throwing his own curse back at her.

"They both fell to the ground, and I was left standing, watching it all, broken wand in my hands.  I didn't move; couldn't move.  I just watched it happen," she whispered, at the end of her story.

"I don't think there is anything you could have done," Draco whispered, his hand brushing the small of her back, attempting to comfort her.  She stiffened, and stepped away slightly.

"You know as well as I do that there is something I that I could have done.  I could have saved him, I could have used my magic, even if my wand was broken."  The statement hung in the air, causing silence to fill the air, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

"Harry tried to fix things between us after that night, but whatever it was that had been between us had been broken forever, and there was nothing that he could do to fix it," Ginny said, unwilling to stand in silence, now that she had finally begun to talk.

"Why?  What does Potter have to do with it?" Draco asked.

"Don't you see?  Neville was invisible.  To Harry, to Ron, to Hermione, to everyone else in the world.  No one could see what he was inside, no one knew who he was or what he could do.  He was an insignificant tag-along; and the only reason he even knew that they were going was because he overheard them talking.  He was overlooked, because he wasn't important enough to make the world see him.  There are hundreds of invisible people in the world – the ones that you would never notice.  You can see them, because they are there, but you don't _see _them really.  I realized that night that I was invisible.

"And I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to make sure that I would be seen.  I had been left behind during that fight, because Harry, Ron and Hermione overlooked me; _they didn't see me_.  Neville died because I was invisible, and in order to make that up to him, to make it up for the both of us, I would have to become something worth seeing."

"And that is the reason your life has become your work.  The reason why you've become the famous diplomat, known for her crusade against the Dark Arts."  _And it's the reason you have frozen everyone out of your life, the reason you've taken on that Ice Queen persona and freeze out anyone who gets too close.  You don't want anyone to get too close or else they might divert you from this goal of yours, _Draco added to himself.

"I hesitated.  I was always taught that Dark Magic is Dark Magic; no matter what purpose it serves.  I couldn't let go of that, even to save his life.  And I stood by, while he died to save my life.  I made a choice that day.  Whatever magic there is inside of me, I would only use what comes out of my wand.  Because I hesitated that day, because I stood by and watched him die while he saved my life."

"Virginia," Draco started, his voice a soft whisper against his ear, "you've been so busy trying to be seen that you've forgotten to live.  He died so you could live.  Don't you think it's time you start doing that?"

She pushed him away violently, her whole body shaking with her fury as she stared at him with burning eyes, fighting the urge to take a swing at him.  But as his calm, gray eyes met hers, and the sparse light around them caught and made them glow silver, her anger died.  Looking down at her, seeing her wide eyes dart away, looking anywhere at him, she reminded him of a lost little girl, on the verge of giving into the panic that came with the thought that she may never find her way.  He reached out for her, and took her icy cold hand in his.  His touch brought a feeling of warmth to her hand, and she looked up at him with glassy eyes, and grasped his hand tightly.

"You're not going to cry, are you?" he asked awkwardly, unable to keep the slight sneer off his face.  Crying women made him feel uncomfortable.

"I don't cry," she said stonily.  Now that she felt the warmth of his hands, she suddenly realized how very cold she was, and began to shiver.

"You're freezing," Draco said.  In one fluid movement, he shrugged off his robe, and flung it around her, pulling her close to him.  She sighed softly as the warmth of his body enfolded her, reminding her of something she'd forgotten.  "It's time to go home, Virginia.  Let the past rest for awhile, before you freeze to death."

With one arm around her shoulders and his head bent protectively over hers, in a rare moment of compliance, she allowed him to lead her away from the frozen grave and the gray head stone.

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Okay, so that was THE chapter.  This is the scene I had in my mind when I started writing this story, and while it hasn't turned out the way I expected it to, I'm glad that it's down on paper and I can start thinking about the ending.

For anyone who may have been wondering about how the title, The Visible Invisible, fits in, I hope you understand now.

Any questions or comments are welcome, either by leaving them in a review, or emailing me at: hope_fuleigh@hotmail.com. I really want to know what you think about this chapter, because it's crucial to the story…too farfetched? A little forced? Let me know.

Thanks for everyone's support thus far, my ego is getting rather inflated from all the kind things you've all been saying.  I really appreciate it.

There is still more to come, so stay tuned.  (Aiming for the next update within a week, but I am going to be really busy, so I can't make promises)


	23. Startled in the Dark

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Chapter 23: Startled in the Dark

She was roused from the safety of a comfortable sleep, wrapped securely in warmth and the darkness of the room.  She felt hands on her shoulder, shaking her awake.  As soon as she was ripped out of her security of a dreamless sleep, she sat bolt upright with a start, confused and struggling to regain her orientation.

            The last thing she could recall was being led to her bedroom by Draco, shivering from the cold.  And now, she could hear a female voice, a low whisper in the dark, but she couldn't see anything.  It was so dark in the room, the usual light of the moon that normally shone through the window was absent.  Squinting, she looked around the room, searching for a face to match the sound of the voice to.  She saw a pair of eyes shining back at her, and she sighed slightly with relief.

            "Virginia, wake up!" the persistent voice whispered again.

            "I'm awake!  Who is that?" Ginny asked, her voice groggy with sleep.  She had fallen into a deep sleep, exhausted from the emotional day she'd had, and her nights of little sleep that had led up to it.

            "It's Danika!  Please, get up, we need your help!" she cried, pulling Ginny's arm to drag her out of bed.  Ginny stumbled out of bed, almost tripping in the tangled of the sheets.

            "What's going on?" she asked, self-consciously straightening out the straps of her shift to readjust it.

            "There's no time to explain, you have to come with me!" Danika cried, pulling Ginny along as she stormed out of the room.  Ginny reached for her wand, which was lying on the table near the door, managing to snatch it up   She tried to resist against the girl pulling her along, protesting wildly along the way, trying to garner an explanation from her.  Finally fed up with Danika's lack of answers, she yanked her arm away and stopped dead in her tracks.

            "If you don't bloody well tell me what this is all about, I'm going back to bed!" Ginny announced defiantly.  The younger girl turned around, glaring at her, as if considering the small redhead.

            "It's the sanctuary.  The charms are failing, and we need your help," she said, her voice serious and cold, which was such a change from her usual warm and friendly demeanor.

            "But what can I do?" Ginny asked softly, confused.

            "Just come, please!" Danika cried, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.  Unable to utter a word of protest, Ginny found herself trying to keep up with the girl.  Danika led her down to the main entrance of the hall, and swung open the great door, letting in a chilling gust of wind and a great amount of snow.

            "You should put these on," Danika paused, gesturing to a large pair of boots left lying haphazardly in the hall.  Ginny's sense of propriety scoffed at the idea of wearing giant boots, knowing that her small frame would look ridiculous, but then the icy wind reached her toes, and she threw propriety to the wind, and jumped into them.

            Danika led her trudging through the snow-covered landscape, heading towards the wood where the labyrinth was hidden.  The snow swirled around them, and Ginny began to shiver uncontrollably, wearing only the giant boots and her thin night shift.  She thought longingly of the center of the maze, where it was always so warm and green, and it was this prospect that kept her from succumbing to the cold.

            She stumbled along, led by Danika, through the steep snowdrifts, and when they finally crossed the threshold to the center of the labyrinth, Ginny stopped in her tracks, shocked.  The once lush and green field was now covered in snow.  The leaves of the surrounding trees were all gone, and the bare branches were coated in snow and ice, and it was cast in dark shadows.  She found it hard to breath as her eyes drank in the sight of the herd, centered together as though to ward off the cold that was destroying their paradise.

            "What has happened here?" she gasped through chattering teeth, looking around in horror.  Her eyes met with Draco, who was standing with his family but a few feet away.  She stepped back slightly when he turned his sight on her – his eyes were so cold and he was glaring at her.  She flinched slightly under his hard look, until she realized that his gaze was not directed at her, but behind her, at Danika.

            The rest of the Malfoy family were looking at her in shock, probably wondering why she was there, and why on Earth Danika had revealed their family secret to her, not knowing that Draco had already explained it to her.  His aunt and uncle, standing together, seemed unsure of how to react; Elizabeth gazing at her with a mixed look of uncertainty and hope, while Vincent's look…was somewhat unnerving to her.  Ginny found herself wishing that she hadn't come with Danika.

            Ginny looked up again at Draco, pleading with him to jump in at any moment and explain to everyone what she already knew, and how she had come to discover it.  He returned to gaze, but remained silent and at a distance.

            "Darien, you remember what happened in the corridor the other day!  She has the kind of power we need to recast the charms!  She can help us!" Danika exclaimed, her hand pushing Ginny forward, closer to the half-circle of Malfoys.

            "I…there's nothing I can do!" Ginny protested desperately.  Darien snorted slightly, and Ginny winced, knowing that what she had done to him would come back to haunt her.

            "Now, now, Virginia, I think I know more than anyone else here that you are quite capable of helping us out," he said, his voice low and dangerous, shattering the sense of protection that normally accompanied being in that location.  Darien stepped forward, closer to her, and suddenly reached out and grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face the group of shuddering creatures at the center of the clearing.  The unicorns, normally so alive, their eyes glinting with a sense of joy, were looking back at her with dull, empty eyes, as though they were ready to accept their fate.

"If you don't help us, I don't know what will happen to them.  Whatever animosity exists between you and the Malfoys does not concern them.  They are innocent in this.  Help them, they are all that matters," his voice whispered harshly in her ear.  She glanced up at him, meeting his solemn gray eyes, and for the first time, she believed the words that were coming out of his mouth.  Closing her eyes and wincing slightly, she nodded.

"How can I help?" she gasped.

* * * * *

 Relief seemed to sweep through the family assembled there in the snow.

"Virginia, dear, you are freezing.  Here, Draco honey, give her your robe before she freezes!" Elizabeth said, her voice filled with concern.  While the rest of his family assembled together to discuss their plan of action, Draco walked over to her.  He swung off his robe, and roughly wrapped it around her.  She looked up nervously at him, and looked away.  He had a grim expression on his face.

Draco wasn't sure who he wanted to strangle more: his cousin for bringing Ginny there, or Ginny for recklessly agreeing to help.  This was not part of the plan, and indeed, it could actually make things worse for them.  But, looking around, he noticed that the members of his family were looking very relieved, but there was also a strange sense of curiosity about them.  He swore lightly under his breath; there was one Malfoy trait that had never changed through the generations – even if his uncle was completely different from his father, the Malfoy fascination with power was still there.  He turned his steely eyes on his uncle Vincent, and he could see the almost predatory glint in his eye as he watched Ginny, fiddling nervously with her wand, looking small and pitiful in his overlarge robe.  Vincent was probably assessing what it is that the little witch could do, and how he could use that to his advantage.  Looking back down to Ginny, he shuddered slightly at that thought.

This was the last thing he wanted.  For them to see what she could do, to see it, know it and begin to plot how it could help them.  Malfoys were born Slytherin, and it was a natural instinct to value power over anything.

"The charm is a very simple spell, but it requires a lot of power behind it for it to work, and to hold against whatever it is that is trying to tear it down.  All that we need from you is the power; leave the conjuring to us," Sarah said, breaking Draco's thoughts.  Ginny nodded, frowning slightly.  She readied her wand, looking around for something to focus on.

"You're not going to need that," Draco said, bending over her, gently taking it out of her hands.  She looked startled, and he could see the war that was being waged behind those brown eyes of hers; but one sideways look near the center of the field, at the shivering, crouching herd of once proud and lively creatures was enough to tip the scales, and she nodded.

"How do I…how does this work?" she asked softly.  Her eyes locked with his.  The intensity that she found in the gray eyes made her desperate to look away, but her stubborn pride refused to let her.  He had her hands in his again, a light touch that was strangely comforting and reassuring.

"Just close your eyes," he answered.

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Didn't want to leave off there, but necessary.

Thanks for the responses to the last chapter, I feel relieved that it was so well-received by everyone.


	24. Collision of Truths

I was on a roll, and couldn't stop writing, so here is another (wickedly difficult to write) chapter.  Things get a little abstract here, so don't be afraid to think outside the box.

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**Chapter 24:  Collision of Truths**

_"Just close your eyes,"_ his voice had whispered, resonating in her mind.  She could still feel his fingers entwined with hers, and in desperation she gripped them as tightly as she could, as her eyes closed and she became blind to what was occurring within the field.  So many doubts and fears were running through her head, it was beginning to distract her.  The only solid thing she had to hold on to was his hand.

            She had promised herself, that night, that because she had hesitated to use that power, she never would.  It had been a decision that she'd made; in that instant when Neville died and she could have prevented it, but had been reluctant to use any magic without her wand, in fear of being discovered or branded a dark Wizard – she really wasn't sure – but that was why she was so afraid of it.  And here she was, about to perform whatever spell it was they were doing, knowing full well that by Ministry standards, this was definitely "Dark Magic".

            _Dark Magic, in any form, can only do harm_.  This had been taught to her as a universal truth by her parents, and now, she was about to act against everything they had ever taught her.  _But the end justifies the means_, her heart was protesting wildly.  Was it really "evil" if it could help a bunch of beautiful, magical creatures that were being hunted by a force that would want to do evil things with them?  The basic truth that she had grown up believing and the truth that was before her eyes were warring with each other, and the very ground she was standing on seemed to sway in the balance.

            His grip on her hands tightened slightly, steadying her.  Exhaling deeply, she focused her concentration.  In her mind she could see the meadow as she had first seen it: green, growing and full of life.  Full of a beauty so breathtaking it almost hurt to see.  The kind of sight your hand aches to reach out and touch, so you can make sure it's real, that you are actually seeing a real place.  As she formed the image in her mind, she suddenly became aware that all the other sensations around her; the footsteps of the Malfoys as they walked around in the snow, the howling of the wind, the bitter bite of the cold, all seemed to fade away.

            All she could feel was the rise of power from within, pulsing in time with her heartbeat, and the hands that she was holding onto as tightly as she could.  Synchronizing her breathing to match the beat of her heart, she felt the enormous swell of power throughout her body slowly ebb away with each exhale.  She could feel her energy in the air around her, feel the power from her body free at last, circling all around her, growing stronger with each breath.  The inherent magic of the sanctuary, ancient and solid as time, was mingling with the power she was radiating, drawing on it, drinking it in desperately in the same instant it was nourished by it. 

            With a crack that almost shattered her concentration, Ginny found a forceful wall of resistance that was bearing down on her.  Her temper piqued, she unleashed her anger, felt it wash over her, feeding her power, letting it amass within her center until it broke free in an invisible explosion.  She could feel the resistance crumble from the force, and her concentration wavered momentarily as she felt a great sense of triumph.

            And then the weight of all came barreling down on her.  She focused her energy, pushing it back, her breaths coming out in gaps as she tried to fight it back, but it seemed to feed on whatever force she used to break it.  Her legs were growing weaker, with the weight of her own power thrown against her.  She was about to stumble, when she felt a growing warmth from the hands that were still holding hers, and the weight bearing down on her seemed to lessen enough for her to regain her focus.

            Breathing deeply again, she concentrated the energy within her, using her heartbeat as a guide once more.  She could feel it pulsating in the air around her, and she used its rhythm to fuel the gathering of power within her.  As the resistant force was slowly pushed back, she could feel another heart beating at the same time as hers, throbbing in her head.  She could feel another energy force encircling her, surrounding her, protecting her from the resistance, pushing it away, allowing her to concentrate solely on gathering her own energy.

            Her eyes opened, meeting a pair of silver-gray eyes.  It was all she could see, and as she felt her own heart beating in time with the other rhythm, she could see them both pulsating in his eyes.  The wall that was blocking her suddenly crumbled, and the energy within her suddenly burst forth, shattering the cold grip that had been tightening around the sanctuary.  As if a tightly-stretched elastic band had suddenly snapped, the force of the recoil threatened to carry Ginny away, but the second heart beat anchored her down, gray eyes locked with brown ones, and warm hands held her in place as the effects washed over them.

* * * * *

            Ginny opened her eyes slowly, and blinked in the soft moonlight blanketing the field in the middle of the labyrinth.  It took her a moment to realize where she was.  She withdrew her hands from Draco's grip, never breaking eye contact with him, until she looked around her and saw that she was standing in the middle of a once-more vibrant, green field.  The snow and the cold were all gone.

            An overwhelming sense of delight filled her, and she let out a joyful cry.  Kicking off the over-large boots, she ran, feet padding softly on the fresh grass, until she reached the center.  Looking up at the stars, shining brightly, and the brilliant light of the moon centering on her, she twirled around madly, needing to release her joy, her hair whipping freely around her in the gentle wind.

            Her body felt energized, and she felt electrified wisps of power left running through her.  With a laugh, she stopped before she became too dizzy and fell over.  Her eyes met once again with gray ones, and she gasped.  In those moments, her eyes locked on his, she remembered all that she had seen while lost in the spell, and she found breathing becoming more difficult.  She could still feel his heart beating.

            "Where is everyone else?" she asked softly, noticing for the first time that they were the only humans there.

            "They left us once it was clear that they weren't needed; that the spell had been in place and you were able to hold it," he answered, his voice low and soft.  His eyes, so intense, were meeting hers once again, and the power within her rose again, protesting the loss of the connection between them.  Barely able to breath under the weight of those eyes, she found herself propelled towards him, her magic calling out for the touch of his again.

            Before she was able to think, she was in his arms, needing his touch, the contact of his skin on hers.  She felt the power well up with her again, as her lips made contact with his, her arms wrapping around his neck.  He reached around her waist, pulling her up against him, needing to feel her body against his.  She was giddy and lightheaded, and running out of air.  Pulling away abruptly, before either of them was satisfied, making the need even stronger, she gasped for air, leaving one hand on his chest, unwilling to completely break contact with him. Moving that hand down his chest, over to where his heart was, she could feel the throbbing beat und her palm that was echoed in her mind. She looked up into his eyes one last time and she was lost to the power within him that was calling out to her own.  Unable, unwilling to stop, she captured his lips again, reveling in the electric flare of power that rose up at his touch, rising forth and sweeping them both away.

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Weird chapter to write.  Hopefully not weird chapter to read?


	25. A World Turned Upside Down

Standard Disclaimer still applies, along with many profuse apologies as to the amount of time it took to post this chapter.  We got a snowstorm, my University was closed for the day (which normally only happens by divine intervention), so I played in the snow instead of writing like a good little author.

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Chapter 25: A World Turned Upside Down

She stretched lazily before snuggling back against the warmth that was surrounding her.  Sighing in contentment, she wondered when the last time was that she felt so warm and safe, wrapped securely as she was in Draco's arms. 

            With a start, her eyes snapped open, and her eyes darted around, almost in panic.  The images from the night before flashed through her mind, and she fought to hold back the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.  As realization slowly set in, she became painfully aware of the fact that she was lying with her head pillowed against his shoulder, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his cloak draped over them.  Carefully moving, so as not to wake him, she wriggled out of his grasp, and sat back a few feet away so she could better assess the situation.

            They were sitting under the oak tree by the pond on the far edge of the field in the center of the maze.  The herd was grouped in the center, most of the silvery creatures were lying on the ground, still sleeping.  Turning her attention back to the man beside her leaning against the tree, she was surprised to see how different he looked while asleep.  There was a more relaxed look about him; there was no hint of his stiff, hard demeanor that usually hung about him.  The soft dawn sunlight was filtering in through the treetops, casting a soft glow about him that gave him an innocent –almost angelic – air.  Ginny shuddered, the idea of Draco as innocent or angelic indicated exactly how shaken up her world definitely was.  She bit back a slight laugh, knowing that is she started to giggle, she wouldn't be too far away from hysterics, and she was determined that she wouldn't break down.

            She sat back on her heels, straightening out the straps of her silk nightshirt that had shifted during the night and brushed her wild tumble of hair out of her eyes, and sighed heavily, unsure of what to do.  As she contemplated, she allowed herself to stare at him sleeping, enjoying the sight of him completely vulnerable.  Her eyes fixated on his closed eyes, the harsh line of his brow, so often frowning or raised in disdain, softened, and the slight smile on his lips captivated her.

            Sighing softly as she noticed that smile, she brushed her fingertips over her own lips, remembering the sensations that overwhelmed her the instant his lips made contact with hers.   So much had changed in her world, in the matter of a few hours that she could hardly recognize it anymore – she could hardly recognize herself anymore.

            She'd used her magic in a way that she hadn't allowed herself to even consider for so long, because she'd been so convinced that it was wrong.  But the second she'd felt the power on her fingertips, and the incredible freedom that came with it, she knew that they were wrong, and that it was completely right for her to use it.  Especially when she felt the nature of the spell that was bearing down on them all – it had felt corrupted and tainted; it was almost painful for her to come in contact with it.

            But the aftermath…the leftover energy in the body had drawn her with a powerful magnetic force towards the other powerful source in the area – her polar opposite, the man sleeping peacefully next to her.  The energy that had ripped through her had been an unstoppable force that was both controlling and incredibly freeing at the same time.  But now, in the morning light, what had seemed inevitable, uncontrollable and exactly right under the darkness of the night sky was now a source of great confusion.

            He was a Malfoy, he stood for things that her entire family had risked their lives to defeat, he was arrogant, conniving and she could never be sure what the motives lay behind his actions.  There were so many reasons why she should run as far away as possible from him…yet he also had those amazing piercing eyes that seemed to see right through the icy mask she wore, he was one of few that was able to prick her temper and unleash her fury, who had been there for her on the one night of the year that she was the most fragile, who had been able to rescue her from her nightmare and had brought her to the one place in the world that she felt safe and secure.

            She sighed softly, unsure of what to do.  Just as she was about to stand, his eyes opened, and his hands reached out to her.  With eyes half-closed, his hands reached out and before she could muster the strength to move away from him, he pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her.  He kissed her neck softly, brushing her hair out of the way, his fingers lingering ever so slightly on her neck.

            "You wouldn't leave me," he whispered sleepily, his breath warm against her ear.  She sighed softly, all her confusion fading away as he kissed her temple and his fingers entwined with hers.  She held her hand out, palm flat, and pressed it against his, gasping as she felt magic surge to her fingertips, and a crackle of energy spark between their palms.

            "What is causing that?" she asked in wonder, pulling her hand away and looking to him.

            "I don't know, really.  We have very opposite kinds of power, but we used them together.  I'm not really sure that's ever been done before, and I don't really know how long _this_," he paused, trailing a finger along her palm, with a smile as she gasped at the sparks, "Is going to last."

            "It's incredible," she breathed, watching in wonder as his finger moved along her hand, feeling the magic within her growing stronger the longer they were in contact.  She met his eyes again, and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his.  "I could feel you last night, you know.  I could feel your power, your heartbeat."

            "I could feel you, too.  That's never happened to me before.  I've never _let_ it happen before," he said softly, his eyes piercing into hers.  Shaken by the possible implications of what he was saying, Ginny turned her head away.  Unable to resist the magnetic pull within, she leaned her head against his chest, and placed a hand over his heart.  She listened, and felt, the slow, steady beat of his heart.

            "This is so weird!" Ginny gasped, with a slight laugh.

            "Weird, am I?"

            "Not you, just this!  Could you have ever imagined us like this, together?" she asked, holding up their entwined hands as a form of proof to punctuate her point.

            "Never in a million years," he answered, his tone characteristically blunt.  "You are, after all, a Weasley – and a Mudblood-lover, as well!"

            Ginny turned to him, her eyes glinting with indignation.

            "What is so wrong about being a Weasley?" she asked dangerously.

            "And a Ministry witch.  Oh, and a Gryffindor and one of those disgusting Potter-fans.  Oh, and did I mention, a Weasley?" he added, a great smirk on his face.  With an outraged growl, Ginny pushed away from him, standing up and prepared to storm off with thorough indignation.  As she was about to begin her tirade in response to his quips, he suddenly leapt forward, grabbing her around the waist.  She shrieked in surprise as they tumbled to the ground.  She wrestled against him for a moment, until his strength and mere size overcame her, and he was holding her down, looking at her with an amused smile on his face.

            "But you are also a walking contradiction, and I find that amusing," he murmured, silencing her protest as he captured her lips with his.  

* * * * *

            "I have to know something," he stated suddenly, breaking the silence the two had been enjoying, laying as they were, watching the quiet actions of the unicorns and enjoying the peace of their surroundings.  Ginny frowned slightly, his tone very insistent.

            "What is it?" she asked, shifting slightly in his lap as she turned to meet his eyes, which seemed so piercingly serious.

            "You and Potter…Did you…I mean…" he stammered awkwardly.  Ginny raised an eyebrow as she watched him, a small smile growing on her face as she watched him become more flustered.  "Damn it, Ginny, I need to know.  Were you ever involved with Potter?"

            "Don't be stupid, Draco.  Of course I was."  She could feel him tense as she said that, and had to bite back a giggle, the idea of him losing his composure too appealing.

            "Oh," was all he said.

            "Of course, many people don't consider that one, fumbling little peck on the cheek _involved_, but for Harry, that was commitment," she laughed, hearing a slight sigh of relief from Draco.  She grasped his hand, reveling in the jolts of energy that still crackled when their hands made contact.  "Actually, that was right before the night he defeated Voldemort.  Afterwards, he went all red and embarrassed, and then told me that the most important thing in his life was stopping him and that he couldn't get involved right now."

            "And after he won?" Draco asked softly, his chin resting gently on her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck.

            "Everything had changed.  I was different, and he couldn't understand why.  He tried to fix things between us, but I couldn't be with someone who didn't really see me."

            "I see you," he whispered softly, nuzzling her neck.

            "I know," she whispered back, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

* * * * *

            "How nice that your friends are able to join us for the holidays," Gabrielle's mother, Elizabeth commented, smiling as she refilled Harry's teacup.  Smiling nervously, Gabrielle nodded, meeting Harry's eyes before quickly looking away, turning her gaze back to the window.  Upon the unexpected arrival of her fiancé and his two closest friends, she had been perched at the window overlooking the path from the house out to the woods, desperate to catch sight of Ginny and Draco's return.  She was desperate to have Draco, the master of all scheming, around 

            "I'm sorry we appeared on such sort notice, Mrs. Malfoy, but Harry didn't want to spend Christmas without Gabrielle," Hermione explained, elbowing Ron to try to nag a similar comment from him.

            "It's not a problem – the more, the merrier!" Elizabeth said.

            "Where did you say that my sister and Mal – err, Draco – went?" Ron asked suddenly.

            "I believe that they were attending a function at Judge Strums' house last night.  We expect them to return sometime this morning," Elizabeth answered flawlessly, shooting a warning glance at her daughter as Gabrielle shifted nervously.  Gabrielle couldn't help it; she was uncomfortable with all the lies that had been spoken within the first few minutes of her fiancé's meeting her family.  They were all told to protect the "great family secret", of course, and therefore excusable, but it still made her feel terrible.  She needed Draco there, helping her through this, with his flawless ability to bend the truth and his quiet assurance that this was the right thing to do.

            "Oh, look, there they are!" Danika announced, as she had been peering over Gabrielle's shoulder.  Two figures were emerging from the woods; a tall, light-haired man, and a small woman with bright red hair, shining in the sun, wrapped in a black robe that was hanging off of her.  Gabrielle was amazed as she watched them; their pace leisurely, despite the cold and lightly falling snow, and their demeanor seemed playful and friendly.  Her eyes widened in panic as she saw them pause, Ginny pushing Draco into a snowdrift, before dashing ahead of him.  Her cousin, jumping up from the snow, quickly took off after her, catching her around the waist, lifting her up and dumping them both into the snow.

            "Where?" Ron demanded, jumping up from the sofa where he'd been sitting – sulking, really – and practically tripping over himself to get to the window.  Gabrielle turned to shoot a nasty look at her sister for saying anything, and cringed in horror when she looked back at the pair outside in the snow.

            It seemed that they had managed to pick themselves up from the snow drift, and were now very much snogging in the middle of the path, fully visible from the window overlooking them, yet completely unaware that they had an audience.

            She heard a strange, high-pitched hiss from somewhere, and was easily able to identify it's source.  For standing next to her was Ron Weasley, his face bright red, mouth hanging open, and a look of mingled shock and outrage on his face.

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Okay, so I indulged in some fluffy scenes – I figured Ginny and Draco deserved it with all that I've put them through so far.  Only problem, writing fluff for me is like pulling teeth, so it took a lot of time to write.

For those that were concerned that Chapter 24 was the end, NEVER FEAR!  I promise the end of this story will not be a cliff-hanger ending, and there is still a bit more to go, and a bunch of strings to tie up.

As always, much thanks to reviewers, you guys all rock.


	26. End of the Reign

Sorry this took so long, I suck, school sucks and forks in the road of Plot-land are a giant pain in the ass (I couldn't decide where I wanted to go).

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**Chapter 26: The End of the Reign**

What a fantastic turn her morning had taken.  Feeling her anger slowly build inside her, she was walking at a very brisk pace, hoping to exorcise a great deal of her rage through the physical exertion of trying to escape an enraged Weasley.

            "…And after all the warnings I gave you, I see you here, traipsing around in the SNOW, half-naked, with HIM!  What were you thinking, Ginny?  Have you forgotten he's a Malfoy?" Ron demanded, his anger having pushed past the convenient stuttering stage, and seemingly seemed to be stuck in 'continuous rant' mode.  With a seething glare at her brother, Ginny reasoned with herself the stuttering was the better of the two by far.

            "Ron, my dear, dear brother, don't take this the wrong way, but SOD OFF," she yelled back, before continuing her storming down the corridor.  Having unexpectedly been greeted at the door by her brother and his two closest friends had been a rather awkward moment, but awkward had become near disaster by the way he kept carrying on.

            "Virginia, I am not finished with you!  If you think that you're getting off that easy…I arrive here, and find my baby sister – _snogging _– that bastard Malfoy, and you expect me to take 'sod off' as an answer?" Ron hollered after her, running to keep up.  Glancing down the hall, she realized that she was heading in the wrong direction, and made a quick about turn, catching her brother roughly by the arm on her way by.

            "Need I remind you that you are a guest in this family's home?  And that no matter what your feelings towards him may be, you should be slightly more polite than hollering out that all Malfoys are bastards!" Ginny hissed through her teeth.  Ron yanked his arm away.          

            "What has happened to you, Ginny?  Have you forgotten what kind of person he is, what kind of person his father was?  Do you remember what his father did to you in your first year?" Ron asked, his anger dissipating and now, instead of enraged, he simply looked confused.

            "Ron, need I remind you that I have a job to do?  That I am here for one very important purpose?  Malfoy is key to getting that bloody Act signed, and if I don't have his support on it, then two years of my life have been completely wasted!  His family is very wary of anyone from the Ministry, so I've been posing as his girlfriend in order to get around that.  It's just business," she hissed, swatting her brother's hand away from her shoulder.

            "Whatever little political game you are playing, Ginny, fine, but at the very least, think of Mum and _put some clothes on_," Ron yelled back at her.  Letting out a roar that she struggled to bite back as much as possible, she stormed away.  She finally realized that they were in the corridor where her bedroom was located and opened the door.

            "Ron, I don't interfere with your job.  Show me the same respect and stay out of mine before you ruin everything!" Ginny said, glaring coldly at him, attempting to freeze him with her eyes.  There was a pause as Ron met her icy gaze, staring solidly back.  But then he grimaced, and his eyes moved away, losing the silent standoff.  With a pointed look, she spun around triumphantly, and slammed the door the bedroom shut.  Ron stared at the closed door for a second, blinking.

            "Put some bloody clothes on!" he yelled, determined to get the last word in.

* * * * *

            "Potter, what are you doing here?" Draco asked, his voice full of disdain born from the years of enmity between them.  Some things could never be remedied over time.  The tension in the room had driven away most of his family, leaving him, Harry and Gabrielle alone in the library.  Hermione had left hurriedly after Ron, who hadn't been seen since he tore out the room, seeking to confront his sister.

            "Full moon, Malfoy.  I warned you that if you didn't have things under control by now, I'd be here," Harry answered, the slight edge in his voice causing Gabrielle's head to snap away from the window, and look to her fiancé.  Seeing the serious gleam in his eyes, she felt her heart stop.

            "What is going on?  What do the two of you know that I don't?" she asked, her voice carefully modulated to betray nothing – that she knew very well what Draco knew.

            "Well, as is the fashion with Aurors, you seem to always a little slow on the uptake.  The problem was solved last night," Draco said, ignoring his cousin.  Harry frowned, unwilling to trust what he was saying.

            "But?" Harry asked pointedly.

            "We have a new problem," Draco said solemnly.

            "We?  What are you talking about, Draco?  Harry?  Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Gabrielle demanded.

            "They no longer want the unicorns," Harry stated, the idea spontaneously dawning on him.  "They've found something else to target?"

            "Not something else, something more.  I'm not entirely sure, but the attack last night ended rather abruptly…I think that they may be forming some other type of attack," he said with a sigh.

            "You are just being paranoid, Draco!  The reason the attack last night stopped was because of Gin—" Gabrielle's words were cut off as Draco shot her an icy glare that stopped her immediately.

            "What about Ginny?" Harry demanded.  He was attempting to stare Draco down, when it seemed that an idea suddenly entered his mind, and his attention focused.  "Gabrielle, do you know about all of this?"

            Draco watched as his cousin's face paled significantly, and she seemed frozen to the spot, unable to speak.  She looked pleadingly at Draco, desperate for any help in trying to conceal the truth.

            "Gabrielle, he already knows.  Just tell him," Draco said forcefully, for once in his life completely drained of all the lies and games that seemed to encompass his family.  Even lies that were not his own had become such a large part of his life, and he wanted nothing more than to be rid of them.

            "Harry…I…Oh, I can't do this!" Gabrielle exclaimed tearfully before dashing from the room.  Harry looked startled by her actions, and was about to follow her out of the room – all thoughts about the issue at hand erased, and all questions about Ginny seemingly forgotten – but the taller frame of his best friend, Ron Weasley, blocked his way as he stormed in.

            "Malfoy, you bastard, what the hell do you think you're doing with my sister?" he raged, his face bright red with his (as yet) unleashed anger.  Seeing an opportunity that, despite his maturity and the years that had passed since Hogwarts, he was unable to resist, his lips twisted in a lazy smirk, and one eyebrow rose.

            "I don't quite know, Weasel.  You saw, why don't you tell me?" he asked, unable to keep the obnoxious tone from his voice.  If Potter hadn't been there to keeping the enraged brother from lunging forward, Draco was certain that there would have been quite the fight right there in the library.

            "I'm going to tear you apart, Malfoy!" Ron hollered, struggling against the grip that Harry had on him.  "Get off, Harry!"

            Draco watched as Ron physically tried to move his friend out of the way, and he mused over the differences between Ron's display of anger, and Ginny's.  Despite the fact that they were brother and sister, and had the genetic red hair and freckles, that was where their similarities ended.  Ron had always been a short fuse – his temper boiling always just below the surface, ready to explode at any second.  Ginny had many more levels then that.  Most of the time, she was containing her anger, smothering it in a thick layer of ice.  It was a cool anger, never burning unless she was really angry.  And then, all ice was gone, and she was a burning ball of rage.  It took quite a lot for her to loose control, Draco had noted, although it seemed that lately, her control was breaking more and more.  _Perhaps the reign of the Ice Queen is coming to an end_, Draco mused.  This thought shattered his amusement, and the thought of her reaction to discovering that he had purposely antagonized her brother caused him to try to smooth things over.

            "Look, Weasel, use your head.  Malfoys aren't exactly enamored of Ministry officials, especially those that work directly for Fudge.  It's a way to keep her safe, because if everyone thinks that she's shagging me, they won't dare bother her," Draco, causing Ron's face to become even more red, which by that point, Draco hadn't thought was possible.

            "I'm going to kill you!" he hollered.

            "Didn't you just hear what he said, Ron?  It's all a lie!" Harry said, desperate to calm his friend down.

            "It's a game we've been playing since we got here.  The only thing going on between your sister and me is an agreement to keep up this charade until she changes the Bulgarian stipulations in the Act, and I get it signed.  Nothing more than politics, Weasel," Draco said.  Ron stopped lunging for his throat as he digested that information.  Slowly the red in his face receded and he seemed to become a rational human being once again.

            "There's nothing actually going on?" he asked, suspiciously.

            "Nothing other than politics.  We're just using each other to reach our goals," Draco lied flawlessly, knowing full well in the back of his mind that there was a lot more between him and Ginny than he wanted Ron to know.

* * * * *

            After a refreshingly scalding shower, and changing into proper clothes, Ginny felt rejuvenated.  The effects of the lack of sleep she'd been suffering for over a week seemed to have disappeared.  As she brushed out her hair, she found herself humming softly – something that she hadn't done in quite awhile.  Smiling to herself as she realized how silly she was acting, she reached for her hair tie to bind her hair in the knot she always wore.   Pausing for a moment, remembering the feeling of his fingers brushing through her loose hair, she decided to forgo the knot and allow her hair to fall nicely down her back.

            She pulled a piece of parchment out of her suitcase – a copy of the Act that it was so important that Bulgaria signed.  Flipping through the pages of it, she zeroed in on one of the stipulations that would affect Bulgaria the most, and circled in.  On another piece of parchment, she scrawled out the changes that needed to be made, along with a quick note to Fudge explaining the changes, and a request for him to have a copy of the changed Act, already signed by him, sent to her, so she could secure the signature of Bulgaria's Minister without delay.  Sighing softly, she realized for the first time how handy it was for her to hold so much influence over Minister Fudge – he'd probably not even really notice the vital changes she had made, and sign the document without thinking, trusting his youngest diplomat do know what was important.

            She reflected for a moment about how much she'd been changed in such a short time.  Hardly a fortnight ago, she would have scoffed at the merest suggestion of changing the Act to make it more lenient on "dark magic" in Bulgaria.  But know, she understood the differences between what "dark magic" and true Dark Magic, and many of the prejudices she'd had against anything different from what she'd been taught had faded away, now less important.

            Shaking her head to clear those heavy thoughts away, she picked up the sealed envelope and headed off to find the Malfoy owls.  After being pointed in five different directions by five different portraits, she finally found one, and sent it off with the letter.  A giddy sort of excitement filled her, and she realized just how close she was coming to fulfilling a task that had taken up almost two years of her life: the successful adoption of the International Cooperation Act for the Removal of All Dark Arts was about to occur!

            She figured that Draco was probably still being interrogated by Ron or Harry, so she headed to the library, a bounce in her steps borne of excitement and relief, as well as the promise of seeing Draco again.  Banishing that last thought to the far reaches of her mind because she was far too unsure about exactly what on Earth the two of them were to each other, she couldn't help smiling as she rounded the corner, and could hear his voice from the half-opened door.

            "_I'm going to tear you apart, Malfoy!  Get off, Harry!_"  Ginny paused before entering the room, hearing her brother yell.

            "_Look, Weasel, use your head.  Malfoys aren't exactly enamored of Ministry officials, especially those that work directly for Fudge.  It's a way to keep her safe, because if everyone thinks that she's shagging me, they won't dare bother her_,"the cool voice of Draco was saying.  Ginny felt her smile disappear from her face as she took in his words.

            "_I'm going to kill you!_" Ron yelled 

            "_Didn't you just hear what he said, Ron?  It's all a lie!_" Harry was saying, always trying to control the famous Weasley temper.

            "_It's a game we've been playing since we got here.  The only thing going on between your sister and me is an agreement to keep up this charade until she changes the Bulgarian stipulations in the Act, and I get it signed.  Nothing more than politics, Weasel_," Draco said.  Ginny felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

            "_There's nothing actually going on?_" she heard Ron ask, suspicion evident in his voice.

            "_Nothing other than politics.  We're just using each other to reach our goals_."  These last words from Draco caused Ginny to flinch as though she'd been struck.  The air seemed to grow stale, and she felt as though she was suffocating.  Turning quickly from the door, she ran down the hall, desperate to put as much distance between herself and Draco Malfoy as possible.

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Okay, so no updates next week (week of hell) and then it's my Spring Break (yay home to work for my fantastic week off).  Since I'll be home, no access to my computer, so it'll be another week after that….so I apologize profusely about that, but there's not much that I can do about it.

By the way, where did the idea that this story was almost over come from?  Because, unless I haven't been doing my job well enough to make it clear, there are still a whole hell of a lot of plot holes left to fill, and I have no intention of leaving any cliffhangers when the story is finished.  (Although the chapters will probably all be pretty cliffy – it's all about building suspense and tension from here on out!)

OOH, quick question:  why do people like to see an angry Ron?  That's one comment that I kept getting "love the angry Ron"?  I don't understand, but hey, it's all good.

Thanks for reading, and I'm going to try to get one more update posted before Monday, but after that, it'll be, like, 12 days before the next one.  Sorry!


	27. Half the Truth is the Best Lie

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**Chapter 27: Half the Truth is the Best Lie**

            "Ginny!  Wait up!" her brother's voice called out to her from down the hall.  Turning around and shooting him a filthy look, she continued to storm away.

            "Why, so you can yell at me some more?" she called over her shoulder.  She heard the loud footsteps as he clumsily caught up with her, and grabbed her shoulder.

            "It's okay, Ginny.  Malfoy explained everything to me, and I know all about your little plan," Ron said, between panting breaths.

             "He did, did he?" Ginny asked, her voice kept carefully neutral, using all of her diplomatic discipline in order to betray nothing of her anger.

            "Yeah, he told us all about the lie that you're using so that his family will be nice to you.  And it's lucky that he did, I was about ready to take his head off for even thinking he could touch you," Ron said, his anger returning.

            "Ron, you are a stupid Neanderthal, and I'll thank you to keep in mind that I can look after myself, and I am a grown woman and perfectly capable of looking after myself," Ginny spat at him, her eyes narrowing as her temper threatened to break free.  Ron answered back with a wide grin.

            "Gin, you're my kid sister, you could be 90 and I'll still be looking out for you," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, as they started to walk again.  Ginny had to suppress a sarcastic chuckle at his words, debating whether she should remind him of all the times he had been too wrapped up in his adventures to take any notice of her at all, let alone to protect her from anything.  "This is quite the house, Ginny!  How do you keep from getting lost in here?"

            "Sheer luck, I suppose.  It takes me hours just to find the main entrance," she answered, slipping back into their usual idle chatter, where most Weasleys felt comfortable.  No discussing anything too serious, or tempers will be unleashed.

            "Ronald Weasley, I have been looking every where for you!  Where on Earth have you been?" a shrill voice called out from the room they were walking by.  Brother and sister both flinched, knowing full well that there was only one person whose temper matched their mother's – that of Hermione Granger.  And there she was, her hands on her hips, a look of supreme indignation on her face.

            "Hullo, 'Mione! What are you up to?" he asked, with a beaming smile that served only to infuriate her even more.

            "Looking for you!  And…Ginny!  Shouldn't you…aren't you two…?" Hermione trailed off, surprised to see the two of them acting so friendly with each other given the loud argument the two of them had had earlier.  She figured that she'd have to keep them away from each other for quite awhile before they'd be able to be in the same room with each other without another yelling match occurring.

            "It's okay, Hermione.  Malfoy explained that they're just posing as a couple to get Ginny in the Malfoys good books, that's all," Ron explained.  Hermione shot Ginny a suspicious look, and noted the way that she was avoiding meeting her eyes.

            "If that isn't the biggest load of bollocks I've ever heard!" she exclaimed.  "I can't believe you bought that, Ron!"

            "It's the truth," Ginny said quietly, looking up to meet her eyes.

            "Oh it is not!  You're just as terrible at lying as your brother is!" Hermione dismissed her statement with a wave of her hand.

            "But…I…but –" Ron sputtered.

            "It's not like they knew anyone was watching them from the house," Hermione said simply.  Ron turned, looking at his sister with a shocked expression on his face.  Ginny bit her lip nervously as she watched his face contort into a series of expressions before finally realization dawned on him, and his face gradually became red.

            "If you'll excuse me, I have some paper work to see to," Ginny said quickly, and scurried away down the hall, eager to get away from her brother before he gathered his wits enough to begin another argument.  She turned down the end of the hall, and found herself in the room displaying Vincent's artifacts from Guatemala.  Shutting the door softly behind her, she sighed in relief as she surveyed the cluttered room, glad to be away from the eyes of others and finally able to drop her façade and relax.

            She chuckled to herself as she could hear the echoes of Hermione and Ron arguing down the hall.  The cleverest witch in her year at Hogwarts, leave it to Hermione to figure out things that she wasn't even involved in!  Ginny sighed in exasperation as she remembered the few agonizing moments after overhearing the conversation between Ron and Draco, frustrated that the infamous Weasley temper had almost clouded her judgment to the point where she actually believed the smooth lie Draco had spoken.

            With an almost fond smile, she remembered the one thing that Fudge had taught her about the deceptive nature of politicians: the best lie is grounded in the truth, and that half the truth is the most believable lie of them all.  Draco hadn't lied at all; they did have an arrangement to pose as a couple for his family.  But it wasn't the whole story, for there was another connection between them that, as yet, both were unwilling to name or even recognize aloud.

            _But it was there_, Ginny thought uneasily.  There was so much happening at the moment, Ginny found herself lost in a confusing world where nothing seemed to make any sense at all.  Choosing to distract herself from the mass of unanswered questions in her mind, she wandered over to the displays of crude magical tools and reminisced about the few days she'd spent in Guatemala on an assignment.

            Forcing her mind to focus, she picked up the rudimentary wand that Vincent had shown her the first night she'd spent there.  To the uneducated eye, it seemed to be a slender piece of petrified wood, worn and scratched from age.  Smiling fondly as she recalled the look in his eyes as she had related what she'd known about the ancient colony of wizards that had lived there.  She traced a finger down it, turning it around in her hands, wondering how they had used it.  It was thought that it had just been a piece of wood, without the magical core that current wizards used.  Ginny's own wand was made using the hair of a unicorn's tail.  She held the wand up, turning to see the bottom to examine it closer.

            Her eyes caught a tiny imprint in the wood.  Inspecting it further, she made out a fading pattern on the bottom.  Tracing the tiny design with her finger, she nearly dropped the wand as a terrifying jolt ran through her body.  Releasing a nervous gasp, she squinted her eyes, and tried to make out the pattern that was carved.  She tentatively scratched at the grim that had collected from age in the grooves of the pattern, sucking in her breath as the painful wave of energy jolted through her body as she made contact with it.  She managed to scrape off a bit of it, but was still unable to make it out.

            She was scraping at it again and had just about cleaned all of it away when her finger lingered too long against the pattern in the wood, and a severe flood of energy overwhelmed her, causing her to cry out as she fell to her knees, dropping the wand to the floor.  Gasping as the shuddering effects reverberated through her body and the waves of pain slowly faded; she stared at the wand lying on the ground next to her.

            The pattern on the bottom was suddenly very clear to her.  Standing shakily and gingerly picking up the wand and placing it back in its spot, she glanced about the room, the pieces falling quickly into place.  Her eyes fell on a bookshelf in the corner of the room, and she practically ran to it, and began searching the titles of the old books that it held.  Forcing herself to stay calm, she ran through all the titles until she finally spotted the volume that she had been searching for.  Unable to believe her good fortune that it was among Vincent's collection, she pulled the book off the shelf, and quickly left the room, making her way as silently as possible to her room, eager to see if she what she believed could possibly be true.

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So no one liked the way the last chapter ended…Sorry.

I'd suggest rereading some of the earlier chapters, because some subtle, little things are going to become mega important to the plot.

Thanks for reading.


	28. Family Trends

Wow, it's been so long since my last update.  Entirely my own fault, I forgot to bring my laptop cord home with me over my break!  One of those crazy stupid moments.  Anyway, along to the chapter, extensive author notes to follow at the end.

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**Chapter 28: Family Trends**

            Anxiety had been slowly building insider her as she flipped through the pages of the old book, and had now formed a hard lump in the pit of her stomach.  Nervous energy was overwhelming her concentration, and she was afraid she would begin to hyperventilate if she couldn't focus and calm down a bit.  Sitting back on the bed in her room, she looked down on the open book with a look of absolute horror on her face.

An authoritative knock on the door startled Ginny, making her jump in fear.  She quickly hid the book she was reading and the notes that she had made on what she'd found out under the covers of the bed, and forced herself to take a deep, calming breath, before striding over to the door and opening it, unsure of who she could possibly find behind it.  Just in case, her resolutely forced her face to take on the stone-cold, unreadable expression that had been such a success for her in all of her political endeavors.  

            She opened it a crack, and then sighed in relief as she opened the door all the way.  Draco swept into the room, a wry look of mild accusation on his face.

            "You've been holed up here all afternoon, all nicely tucked away from the harassment you left me alone to deal with!" he accused gruffly while pacing around the room, with a slight smile on his lips.

            "I'm sure it was an absolute nightmare, and that you didn't, for one second, enjoy returning the harassment by hassling my brother as much as possible!" Ginny returned, unable to keep from returning his smile, as he strode forward and pulled her to him, sighing as he felt her body relax against his.  His lips found a sensitive spot on her neck just below her ear, and she gasped.  His warm breath against her neck as he chuckled sent a shiver of delight down her spine, and in that instant, her anxiety and worry seemed to dissolve.  She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and rested her head against his chest where she could hear his heartbeat.

            "In that case, you're forgiven for abandoning me, as long as you assure me that it will never happen again," he whispered.  Pulling away, Ginny shot him a look of mock outrage that he misinterpreted as genuine anger.

            "I'm glad you've forgiven me, but I'm not so convinced I'll be able to forgive you!  I heard what you said to my brother, you great big git!  That _this_ is nothing more than politics!" she cried.  She watched his face; he was usually reserved and his emotions well guarded, but now he was undergoing a series of expressions, ending with look of panic with an earnest glint in his eyes.

            "I said that so he wouldn't follow through on his threat to remove my head from my body," he declared anxiously, grasping her shoulders and leaning over to meet her eyes.  His anxiousness calmed the smallest hint of lingering doubt about him, and she tried to hide her smile, enjoying this moment with a vulnerable Draco.  "It was also partly true – we were pretending to be a couple for my family."

            "Were pretending?" Ginny asked skeptically.

            "Look, Virginia, despite whatever _this_ is," he said, gesturing frantically to the space between the two of then, "and how weird it is – we're supposed to be mortal enemies, remember? – I think that the one thing we can agree on is that it is not all an act.  At least not on my part."

            "Nor mine," Ginny whispered with a grin.  He released a sigh he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding in, and returned her smile, before he gently tipped her chin up to him so he could capture his lips with hers.

            The moment she felt his lips on hers, she felt the great well of electricity within her rise up, and energize every nerve in her body.  Fueled by the massive swell of energy, she threw herself, with wild abandon, into the kiss, allowing it to become more demanding and fervent.  Her passionate response to his at-first gentle kiss ignited a fire within Draco, and he pulled her closer to him, pressing her body up against his.

            Lost in the moment and unable to keep their hands off each other, the pair began to walk backwards, unaware of any set destination until Draco's legs met the corner of the bed, and they tumbled backwards onto the bed.  Ginny broke away to draw a gasping breath, and leaned back against the pillows on the bed, smiling lazily at Draco.

            "Lucky my brother can't see this," she giggled helplessly, feeling lightheaded and intoxicated.  Draco answered with a smirk, before leaning over her to kiss her again.  Ginny bit back a small groan as the sensations overwhelmed her, and she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down against her.  He planted his arm on the bed, to brace himself.

            A muffled rustle of crinkling paper interrupted the moment.

            "What on Earth is that?" Draco gasped, one eyebrow raised.  Ginny shot up, pushing Draco off of her, sliding his hand away from spot where his hand had rested, where the book from Vincent's library and her notes were hidden.

            "Just some papers I've been looking over," she answered quickly.  Shooting her a suspicious look out of the corner of his eye, he reached out and pulled back the blanket to see what was hidden.

            "And a book?" he questioned, picking up the aged volume and examining the cover.  Ginny reached out, trying to pull it away from him before he could absorb its subject.  "Where did you get this?"

            "I…uh, I picked it up in your uncle's library, actually.  He told me to help myself to anything that interested me," she snapped defensively, trying not to flinch under his suddenly hard gaze.

            "And since when has a good little Gryffindor like you been interested in the known history of Salazar Slytherin?" he asked, his tone even but still carrying a hint of ice.  Unable to look him in the eye when he was wearing such a look, Ginny looked down.

            "I thought we'd already established that I'm no 'good little Gryffindor', but if you must know, since my first year, actually," she mumbled quietly, hugging her knees to her chest.

            "What happened in your first year to create such an interest in the founder of Slytherin?" Draco asked, perplexed.  He reached out to touch Ginny's shoulder, but she shied away, still refusing to look at him.

            "It's a long story, Draco.  One that I'm not too keen to get into at the moment," Ginny snapped.  A long moment of intense silence followed, until Draco sighed, long and hard.

            "Fine," he said.  The word hung ominously in the air as he stood up, and slowly walked toward the door, the happiness that existed in the room mere minutes before completely forgotten and replaced with the cold hard silence.

            "Draco, wait," Ginny said, as his hand reached towards the door.  He turned to face her and she met his eyes, surprised to see a slight hint of hope shinning though their pale gray color.  She hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject that she knew she had to tell him about.  _Well, damn him_, she thought, furious with herself.  Less than a fortnight around him, and he already had her acting unsure and feeling vulnerable – sensations that she'd fought so hard to banish from her life.

            "Yes?" he prodded, questioningly.  Ginny took a deep breath and closed her eyes, collecting herself before she took the plunge that she knew might change everything.

            "What do you know of the years that your uncle Vincent spent in Guatemala?" she forced out, her words jumbled together and spoken very quickly.  "Do you know what he did there, the people he spent his years with?"

            "Just that he lived with their wizarding community and attempted to learn as much as he could of their history.  Why do you ask?" Draco asked, frown prominent on his face as he took a step closer to Ginny.

            "Just a strange feeling.  And…I was reading in this book that soon after his disappearance from Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin is believed to have gone to Guatemala to form a wizarding colony where he could teach the type of students he chose, unlike at Hogwarts," she explained, holding out the book as if to demonstrate what she was saying.

            "What does that have to do with my uncle?" Draco asked carefully.

            "One of the artifacts in his library from Guatemala…was created by Salazar Slytherin, and I think that this is all somehow connected to what's attacking the unicorns," Ginny finally said, reluctant.  She watched his face, and cringed inwardly when she saw his confusion turn into a mask of stone.

            "And how do you know that this artifact is indeed something from Slytherin?" he asked coldly.

            "I told you, it's just a strange feeling," she replied, looking away.

            "So, you want me to trust your strange feeling against my own uncle?  I know that this is a hard concept for you to understand, but I was still so convinced that you'd gotten it through that thick Weasley skull of yours: No true Malfoy would even betray our duty to the unicorns, not for anything.  And if someone did, the other members of the family would stop him at all costs.  Vincent proved that to me when we fought against my father.  And now you ask me to believe that he may be involved in the attacks against them based on a strange feeling you have?  Why should I believe you?" he spat out with barely contained anger.

            "Why shouldn't you?  I have never given you any reason not to trust me!"

            "Yet you won't trust me enough to tell me something as simple as how you became so interested in the history of Slytherin in your first year!"

            "Do you remember what happened that year?  The attacks on Muggles…caused by the Heir of Slytherin?" Ginny shouted.

            "Of course, who could forget that?" Draco responded with exasperation.

            "That was me."  Draco looked thunderstruck for a moment, as he digested what she was saying.  Unwilling to give him any time to regroup and angry that he had pushed her that far, she continued.  "That is how I know that the ancient wand in your uncle's library is not just an artifact from the ancient Guatemalan wizards, but an old wand of Salazar Slytherin himself.  I could feel it when I touched the symbol hidden at the bottom of the wand."

            "That is impossible!  You expect me to believe that a Weasley was the _Heir of Slytherin_?" he questioned, astounded.

            "You have your bloody father to thank for that!" Ginny shot back.  "Look, I don't want to debate whether or not it was possible that that was me, because I was there and you weren't and it is also completely beside the point.  This whole thing is about your uncle, Draco. I think that he has a greater role than you think in the attacks on the sanctuary."

            "Of course.  Whenever there is something bad happening, the Weasley instinct is to blame a Malfoy.  You blame my father for something in your first year?  And now my uncle?  Do you not realize how narrow-minded your reasoning is?" he asked coldly.

            "Well, _Malfoy_, your father was a Death Eater – who almost killed me once – and so is your cousin!  It seems to be a family trend!"

            "You know absolutely nothing about my family, Weasel, and I'll thank you to remember that the next time you feel like making any sort of wild accusations!" Draco yelled, his temper suddenly erupting.  She met his eyes, blazing in his anger for a long moment, before he spun around and yanked open the door.  He turned one last time before leaving, shooting her a deadly glare, before slamming the door shut behind him.

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Okay, a few things that I need to get off my chest:

**How did Ginny know that Draco was lying?**  I have been asked this many, many times after Chapter 27.  Guys, the answer is in the chapter (27, in case you forgot).  I didn't want to spell it out for you, because that just feels less like writing and more like narrating.  I'm a strong believer in inference – meaning that the reader isn't explicitly told everything, there are clues within the text for the reader to glean all that they need to know. 

Actually, that was all.  Ooh, you know I think is absolutely hilarious?  I got a negative comment – in a review of someone else's story!  Someone made a comment in this girl's story about how uncreative it is to juxtapose words (such as Visible Invisible, or Possibly Impossible – the name of that story that was reviewed) and use that for the title of the story (even if it serves a very specific purpose to the story line, but hey! No attacking reviewers, that just isn't nice…well, maybe not). What makes this FUNNY was the fact that the reviewer's name was NeverEver (who was doing exactly what they thought was uncreative).  I just thought that was funny and that I would share it with you all.

More to come as soon as possible, I'm busy busy all weekend (with politics!!), but I will do my very best.

Thanks to all reviewers, good or bad, I still appreciate the feedback!


	29. The Growing Darkness

Standard disclaimer still applies.  Nothing's mine, except maybe the plot, but even that's pushing it.****

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**Chapter 29:  The Growing Darkness**

"Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" the voice called accusingly down the hall.  She sighed, stopping in her tracks.  The hurried footsteps of an angry Ronald Weasley echoed down the long, quiet hall.  She set her bag down on the floor, and spun around, her eyes fierce, knowing she was about to rush headlong into an argument.

            "Ron, didn't Harry tell you?" she asked, her voice dripping with impatience.  She wanted nothing more than to be rid of this house.  It was really beginning to have an affect on her.

            "That you would be taking off in the middle of the night without a word to anyone?  'Mione, what's going on?" he asked, as he reached her, looking down pointedly at her bag.

            "I got an owl from Michael.  He asked me to come home for the holidays," she answered.

            "You're leaving for your boyfriend?  'Mione, we need you here!" Ron protested.

            "I know, but it's the first time he's asked me to come to him…and, oh Ron, you just don't understand, you're not in a relationship.  It's really important that I go, that's all," she explained.  Ron stared back at her, his eyes hard, and Hermione knew that she was definitely in for an argument.  But Ron surprised her.

            "You're right, 'Mione.  I'm not in a relationship, so how could I possibly understand what kind of position you're in?  It must be really hard to be involved with someone who never makes time to see you, yet is very quick to ask you to drop everything important to go to him.  But I suppose you should go then.  But could you do me a favor before you leave?" he asked, his tone civil, missing the usual hint of sarcasm it bore when he spoke of Hermione's boyfriend.

            "Yeah, sure," she asked, her brow furrowed as she pondered his strange reaction.  She was expecting temper and the usual strange bout of jealousy that was his usual reaction whenever she mentioned his name.

            "Could you stop in and say goodbye to Gin?  She's been hidden in her room for hours, and won't come out.  I'm worried about her.  Something is different with her – involved with Malfoy, hiding something from me…It's just very strange coming from Ginny.  Could you just, you know, check in on her…being a girl and all, she might talk to you," Ron said.

            "Yeah, of course," she said.

            "Thanks.  Have a good holiday," Ron said simply, before he turned, leaving Hermione standing in the hall with a shocked look on her face.

* * * * *

            It had been growing in her all day.  From the moment her fingers had made contact with the Slytherin rune on the bottom of the wand, she'd felt the growing weight begin to consume her.  Her argument with Draco had been but a momentary distraction, as the fear from what she was reading and discovering about the connection to Guatemala and Salazar Slytherin combined with the spreading dark power throughout her body began to consume her.

            It brought back so many memories…Half-memories, really.  The sensations that would devour away at her reality moments before she would wake up, hours later, not know what she'd done.  A comforting whisper in that back of her mind, urging her not to fight the power, to give in to it, to play a part in the noble plot that would only enrich the wizarding community.

            She'd never been able to forget that whispering voice.  She'd also never been able to ignore it.  It always became too strong, and soon, Ginny would drop away, and something else would take over, and there was no telling what would happen.

            It had been growing in her all afternoon.  Lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark, she was contemplating what she could do, any method available to her to fight this off.  It was like a vise gripped around her ribcage, and the more time that passed, the tighter it became – until either she gave into it, or it broke her.  It had been hours since she'd been able to move – the weight of the magic working against her had become too much and had paralyzed her.

            But she wasn't the scared little girl anymore.  She was stronger, wiser and unwilling to give in without one hell of a fight.  Gasping as she struggled against the power that was attempting to immobilize her, she forced herself to stand.  With a shuddering breath, she fought against the pain, moving agonizingly slow as she forced her limbs into movement.  She needed her wand, and she needed to find Harry…or Hermione…or even Ron.  She needed help.  If she could just get to her wand, she could use a defensive charm, that would buy her some time before whatever power that was trying to take over her body would gain complete control.  Ginny was afraid to use any other type of magic – whatever it was that was out there was attracted to power, and using too much could be much worse than none at all.

            She cried out in pain as she planted her feet on the ground and forced herself to stand.  Her eyelids were growing heavy, and her legs were shaking violently, trying to hold up the weight of her body combined with the weight of darkness that was growing inside her.  The softly whispering voice became louder, stronger.  She moved one foot forward, gasping to regain her breath, and then took another step.  Her wand was lying on the dresser, not a foot away from her.  Three more steps and she would be there.

            She reached out her shaking hand, reaching with all of her strength, almost willing the wand to come to her hand.  Each movement brought the weight of resistance even further down on her.  The voice was screaming, so loud that it sent shivers of agony throughout her body.  She could barely breath, and when she could, it was coming out in choking sobs.  One more step and she could make it.  Just one more.

            She forced her foot forward, and her eyes began to swim with tears of relief as her fingers brushed the tip of her wand.  She moved forward, hand ready to grasp the wand when a shockwave reverberated through her entire body, causing her to gasp in pain.  She staggered backwards for a moment, still fighting, before she could take no more, and Ginny fainted, falling backwards to the ground.

* * * * *

            Checking her watch, a Muggle taste she was loath to give up, she sighed.  It was well past midnight – she doubted that Ginny was even still awake.  She looked down the incredibly dark hallway, and shivered.  There was just something in the air that was really starting to affect her.  It hadn't been around that afternoon when they'd arrived – in fact, Hermione had been rather surprised by the way this home reminded her of her own family home, just much, much larger and elegant, but there was a comfort about it that was homey.  But now, in the dark, it was just plain creepy.  Kind of like some of the darker, emptier hallways in Hogwarts.

            Just as she was about to knock on Ginny's door, movement far down at the opposite end of the hallway caught her eye.  A flickering light was casting a shadow down the hall.  Frowning deeply, she took out her wand, holding it ready as she began to creepy down the hall, following the flickering light.  She could hear faint, light footsteps, and the soft sound of a door creaking open, and then clicking shut.  After a few moments of silence, she started to run lightly down the hall, spying a crack of light showing underneath a doorway.  She listened carefully, wondering who it was and what they could possibly be doing at this late hour.

            She heard footsteps coming along behind her, and she quickly ducked behind a jutting section of the wall, deciding it was better to discover who it was before she revealed herself.  In the very dim light of the hall, she saw a small, light-colored head pass by, and she released the breath she didn't even know she'd been holding.  She stepped out of her hiding spot, and grabbed the other person's arm.

            "Be quiet Gabrielle!" Hermione hissed as the other woman let out a small shriek through the hand that Hermione had clamped over her mouth.  "It's me, Hermione."

            "What the hell are you doing, other than scaring the wits out of me?" Gabrielle hissed, as Hermione released her.

            "I saw someone come down here, and go into that room," she whispered back, using her hand holding her wand to point out the room she'd seen the mysterious person enter.  Gabrielle turned to look, and shot Hermione a curious look.

            "That's just my dad's study.  It's where he displays all of his souvenirs from his trips," she answered, turning back to Hermione.  Hermione was frowning strangely, looking past Gabrielle and staring with that strange look at the door.  "What is it?"

            "There's a strange red light coming from it.  That wasn't there a few minutes ago.  Gabrielle, who would possibly be up and around at this hour?" Hermione demanded, pulling the other girl back away from the door.

            "Well, no one, normally, but there's been a lot going on around here, I've noticed, since I got here.  Look Hermione, that's probably just my Dad, we should leave well enough alone.  He won't want to be disturbed if he's doing something this late, it must be important," Gabrielle said, her own eyes fixed on the eerie red light that was emanating from the study, seeming to grow brighter as they spoke.  The sound of shattering glass interrupted their contemplation of the room, and they looked to each other, both faces full of unease. 

            "Gabrielle, stay behind me," Hermione said, stepping forward, wand held out, as she crossed the hall.

            "Hermione, don't!" Gabrielle hissed, her voice full of fear as Hermione's hand reached for the doorknob.  Heedless of the other girl's warning, she turned the knob and quietly pushed open the door.

            The room was bathed in that eerie red light, casting strange shadows and making the ritual masks decorating the walls seem alive and menacing.  At the center of the room across from them, a small figure draped in a black cloak stood with their back to them.  A soft voice was chanting something in a language that Hermione didn't even recognize, the tones menacing.  As the flickering light grew brighter, Hermione was able to make out a distinguishing feature of the figure standing before her.  She felt her blood run cold and an icy jolt of pure fear jab into her stomach.

            "Ginny, what are you doing?" she asked softly.  The chanting stopped, and Ginny turned around, holding something in her hand.  Hermione gasped; Ginny was staring blankly back at them, her face expressionless with eyes that seemed to be glowing the menacing red color that the rest of the room was bathed in.  She raised the object in her hand – it resembled a wand.  She held it upright in front of her, just below her chin, and the soft chanting began again.

            "Ginny!  Tell me what is going on!" Hermione said, forcing her tone to sound commanding and forceful.  The creepy blank eyes stared back at her, not acknowledging her words at all.  It was then that Hermione knew – that wasn't Ginny, not really.

            As the soft chanting continued, the wand she held began to emit a series of white sparks from the tip.  A trail of light seemed to travel upwards through the shaft, illuminating it, until a bright burst of light erupted from the tip, illuminating Ginny's blank face and nearly blinding Hermione and Gabrielle.

            "Ginny, what are you doing?" Gabrielle shrieked, her voice shrill in her panic.  The girl before them didn't answer.

            "She doing exactly what she's being commanded to do," a deep voice said from behind Ginny.

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Sorry for the cliff hanger, my International Relations paper is calling me and can't possibly be ignored any longer.

Please note:  I don't know if I ever actually mention it (I may in the first couple of chapters), but in my story, Hermione is an Auror along with Harry and Ron (that's why she's all Captain Suspicious and got the wand all ready and stuff – well, plus she's Hermione).

And by the way, how awesome did Johnny Depp look at the Oscars???  Was crushed he didn't win, but Sean Penn did deserve his win, so I was slightly appeased.


	30. Brooding

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**Chapter 30: Brooding**

He hated to admit it, but he was brooding.  Holed up in his room, he had been staring out the window for hours, his last conversation with Ginny repeating itself over and over in his head.  It was just such a hard thing to wrap his head around.  The littlest Weasley, _the heir of Slytherin_?  It just didn't make any sense at all.  And the comments about his father being to blame?

            Cursing himself, he knew that he should have kept his temper and had her explain what she was talking about.  But what she'd been saying had just about turned his head around completely.  Blaming his uncle for this?  He thought that perhaps she'd been able to see past the Malfoy stereotype that Lucius had created.  That maybe the spark between them would be enough to forget all about that old Malfoy-Weasley nonsense, but her only suggestion about how was behind these attacks was naturally a Malfoy.

            _Of course, she hadn't come right out and said that it was Vincent_, his conscious needled him.  He shrugged it off, unwilling to feel guilty.  Frustration was enough to deal with at the moment.  The compelling mystery of Virginia Weasley – just when he thought he had it all sorted out, she threw another punch at him, twisting everything round even more.  And just when he thought that he'd begun to break down that ridiculous wall of ice around her, she just froze him out yet again.  Releasing a groan, he checked the time, and noted that it was just about time for him to visit the maze, and check that all was well there.  He reluctantly left his brooding post at the window, and walked out of his room.

            "Malfoy!" an angry voice called down the hall.  He turned around to see a rather irate Harry Potter charging towards him.  Struggling to contain a seething groan, not entirely pleased to see his arch nemesis at this moment.

            "What can I do for you, Potter?" he asked, instantly taking on his famous indifferent attitude and the infamous Malfoy sneer.

            "Where is Gabrielle?" the other man demanded, his tone full of warning and anger.

"Lost your fiancée, Potter?  I figured that you would be able to hold on to her for a little bit longer than that," Draco answered, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, taking a small degree of pleasure knowing that his complacency was irritating the other man to no end.

"I've looked everywhere for her!  I haven't seen her since this afternoon!  Do you know where she is?" he demanded.  Draco was taken aback by his intensity.

"No, I haven't seen her.  Have you checked her room?" he asked, becoming more civil towards Harry as his suspicious mind began to plot the implications of a missing Gabrielle.  She was not the type of girl who would ever hide or leave without telling anyone.  She was much to…considerate and well behaved for that.

"Harry!  Did you see Hermione leave?" another frantic voice called down the hall, as hurried footsteps came running up to them.

"Ron, didn't she leave hours ago?" Harry asked, startled by his best friend's panicked tone.

"She was going to go say goodbye to Ginny, but that was hours ago!  Her bag is still in the hall where she left it, and now I can't find her anywhere!" Ron exclaimed, his face red and his eyes wide with worry.  The pair of friends suddenly seemed to be hit with a thought at the same moment, and turned to glare at Draco.

"Where are they, Malfoy?" Ron spat out at him.

"I hardly know any more than you two," Draco said, his tone turning hostile, indignant that they were blaming him for the disappearance of his very own cousin.  "You said that Granger was going to say goodbye to Virginia, did you think to check with her?"

"Of course.  Ginny wasn't in her room and neither was Hermione," Ron said, bristling at Draco's sarcastic tone.  Draco was about to roll his eyes in exasperation with the two idiots in front of him when he suddenly froze.  A worried look passed between Harry and Ron as they watched as Draco's face paled considerably, as he stared past them, as if paralyzed.

With a muttered swear, he pushed past Harry and Ron, and began to walk down the hall, his stride quick and very telling of his current worry.

"Malfoy, do you know where Gabrielle and Hermione are?" Harry called after him, running to catch up.

            "You know more than what you're saying, Malfoy.  If anything has happened to either of them, you will pay for this!" Ron threatened.  Draco halted in his tracks, and flung around.

            "You are both a bunch of sodding idiots!  Gabrielle and Hermione are not the ones that are missing and they aren't the one you should be worried about!" he yelled, suddenly furious.

            "What the hell are you talking about, Malfoy?" Ron demanded.  Any reply that Draco may have had to that question was drowned out by a loud explosion that rocked the mansion and shook the floor, throwing the three men to the floor.

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	31. The Writing's on the Wall

Okay, so I decided to ignore the paper for a bit and voila, two short chapters.  Was only going to post one, but the threats about the last cliff hanger weighed heavily on my mind.

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**Chapter 31: The Writing's on the Wall**

Groaning loudly, his muscles screaming at him as he forced himself up off the ground, Draco shook his head to clear his sight, which was rather cloudy.  Blinking fiercely, it took his muddled brain a few moments to realize that it was the _air_ that was cloudy and not his sight.  The dark hallway was filled with dust.  He coughed slightly as he inhaled some of it.  Squinting his eyes in the dark, he made out a strange light at the end of the hallway.

            Leaning against the wall until he regained his bearings, he glanced around him, and saw Weasley and Potter lying in a heap on the floor.  He nudged the closest one with his foot, and was rewarded with a load groan, and the heap began to move.  The other two men, wordlessly but with many loud groans, stood up, and surveyed the situation.

            "What the bloody hell was that?" Weasley gasped.

            "Where did it come from?" Potter wheezed, before a coughing fit overtook his power of speech.

            "Whatever it was, it came from down there," Weasley said, pointing down to the room at the very end of the hall.  The three men walked cautiously towards it, carefully making their way through the debris that was now littering the hall.

            "What is in that room?" Potter asked, his voice low, as he reached around his robe, pulling out his wand in preparation.

            "My uncle's study.  Or at least it was," he said as his blood ran cold upon reaching the threshold of the room.

            The door had been blown away in the explosion.  The numerous shelves that had lined every inch of wall in the room were now lying in a state of ruined ruble on the ground.  The room was littered with the charred remains of his uncle's book collection, and shattered glass glinted in the strange light, the remnants of the display cases of Vincent's beloved Guatemalan artifact collection.  The ancient ritual masks that had adorned the walls were littered about, most ruined beyond repair.  Draco's eyes scanned the room cursorily, seeking the one object he knew it was useless to even look for, because it was undoubtedly gone.

            But the most chilling sight in the room was the source of the strange green glow about the room.  Etched in the wall, where once Vincent's shelf of most prized artifacts were proudly displayed, was the glowing green snake, symbol of Salazar Slytherin.

            "What the hell is that?" Ron demanded slowly, his eyes settling on the magic symbol.

            "Didn't you study your history at all, Weasel?  That's the symbol for the founder of Slytherin house.  Thought you would have at least recognized it from Hogwarts," Draco said, his voice cold and distant.  _She was right, she tried to tell you_, the voice in his head was whispering.

            "We need to find Hermione and Gabrielle," Harry said, his voice suddenly taking on an authoritative tone.  Before anyone could reply, a flurry of footsteps as another member of the Malfoy family entered the room interrupted the moment.  His eyes widened in shock, and his limbs began to tremble as he surveyed the damage.

            "Oh dear God," he said, surveying the state of Vincent's library.

            "Darien, have you seen Hermione?  Or Gabrielle?" Ron asked, urgently.  Darien ignored the question, walking into the room, avoiding the debris littering the room, heading straight for the glowing symbol on the wall.

            "I was afraid something like this might happen if they found out about her," he said, his voice dull and flat.

            "Found out about who?" Harry demanded.

            "Look, have you seen the girls?  They've been missing for awhile, and we need to make sure they are alright now that _this_ has happened.  Tell me if you know where Hermione and Gabrielle are!" Ron shouted.

            "She knew something like this might happen.  She tried to tell me, tried to warn me about it," Draco said softly, his eyes focused on the wall.

            "What are you talking about?" Harry yelled, giving into frustration.

            "What purpose does this serve?  Why now?  Why her?" Darien asked, frowning as attempted to figure it out.

            "For god's sake, if one of you damned Malfoy don't start to bloody well tell us what has happened, no one will be able to hold me accountable!" Ron shouted.  Draco turned to face him, his eyes blazing with anger.

            "What has happened is that you and Potter are a bunch of bloody idiots, and all this time you've spent worrying about your precious Hermione and Gabrielle has been misplaced, because I assure you, they are not the ones in danger.  If you hadn't been so blind, you might have noticed that those two are not the only ones that are missing at the moment!" Draco shouted.  Ron glared back at him, until realization dawned on his face, and he paled considerably.

            "Ginny," he whispered.

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More to come ASAP, gotta write three papers in the next week or so, so patience please!

Thanks for reading, and as always, mad Kudos to those who take time out of their day to review, you are all super-great.


	32. A Glimpse under the Hood

Standard disclaimer still applies.  If you recognize it, it ain't mine.

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**Chapter 32: A Glimpse Under the Hood**

Hermione blinked in the sudden light, surprised by the sudden change.  One moment, they had been standing in that creepy room, and now they were in the middle of a strange field, surrounded by trees.  Holding her head against the bout of dizziness that was threatening her balance, she suddenly remembered what was happening.  Steeling herself, she checked around for Gabrielle, and saw her huddled on the ground next to a giant oak tree, her head buried in her knees.  _Well, at least she's alright_, Hermione thought, and had to push any feelings of disgust over the girl's pathetic response to the current crisis.

            Now that she knew that Gabrielle was at least alive and well, she took the time to survey the area around her more carefully.  Wherever they were, it seemed as though it were spring there – this clearing she was in was very green and the temperature was rather warm.  It was very large, and nearby the oak tree that Gabrielle was huddled mournfully under, was a decent sized pond.  She could make out a number of figures standing at the far end of the clearing, but she couldn't see clearly enough to identify them.  There was some sort of silvery light that was obstructing her view.  She reached around in her robes, searching for her wand, and swore rather forcefully when she couldn't find it.

            "Gabrielle?  Are you alright?" she asked, taking a few steps closer to the distraught woman.  Gabrielle looked up at her with tear-brimmed eyes, and a look of absolute misery that Hermione found herself backing away, ever so slightly – as if to avoid the full brunt of it.  "Do you know what has happened?  Where are we?"

            "I should never have asked Draco to help me.  None of this would have happened," she responded blankly through her tears.  Hermione sighed in frustration.  She was never going to be able to get a clear answer from her while she was in this state.

            "Gabrielle, you spineless little fool, if you know where we are, you'd better tell me or I'll do worse things to you than you could possibly imagine!" Hermione declared harshly.  Gabrielle's eyes snapped up to meet her face, a look of shock and fear in her eyes.  But it had worked; she'd shaken off the dazed detachment and seemed to realize for the first time that Hermione was even there.

            "Oh Hermione!  We're…we're in the sanctuary, in the middle of the maze," she answered, jumping up and looking around.

            "Sanctuary?  Maze?  What on earth are you talking about?" Hermione demanded, feeling about ready to slap her if it would help get some sense out of her.

            "Aren't you an Auror?  Shouldn't you know these things?" Gabrielle asked bitterly.  At Hermione's dark look, she relented.  "The forest that we saw Ginny and Draco come from this morning is actually a maze, and this is the middle.  It is meant to hide specific magical creatures from those that would harm them.  Very few who aren't Malfoys have actually set foot here."

            "Why did they bring us here?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the figures at the far end that she still couldn't identify.

            "I don't know.  They don't need us for anything.  Neither of us are any good without our wands," Gabrielle explained.

            "What about Ginny?" Hermione asked.  Gabrielle looked away from her, focusing her eyes on the ground.

            "She's the reason they're here," she answered softly.

* * * * *

            "So you mean to tell me that my baby sister is actually some kind of powerful witch, but only in a type of magic that is considered as Dark Magic?" Ron sputtered, his face now taking on a rather dangerous shade of purple.

            "Your Ministry decided long ago that magic that they couldn't see – anything done without a wand – was very dangerous and that they should try to regulate it as much as possible.  Bunch of old fools, really.  And yes, Virginia is very talented with that type of magic, and she's very powerful, mostly because she's never really used it very much.  It's kind of stored up in her, and when she lets it loose…well, it would take five or six full-grown wizards in the height of their power to match her," Darien explained cautiously, glancing over at Draco, who was remaining rather silent.  Draco should have been the one talking, he knew more about the redheaded witch that he did!

            "And you've seen her use it?  But she wouldn't!  She hates anything to do with the Dark Arts, she always has!" Ron protested.

            "That's why your charms around the maze haven't failed yet!  She helped you fight against whatever it was that attacking them!" Harry declared suddenly, glaring forcefully at Malfoy.

            "Yes," was all the blond Malfoy would answer.  Harry turned to Draco, his eyes hard and cold.

            "You told me that she would be safe!  That she wouldn't become involved in your mess!" Harry yelled, his tone ripe with accusation.

             "He didn't know about her power when he made that promise, boy," another voice said, silencing the conversation around them as they all turned to stare at its owner.  Vincent had appeared, alerted the sound of the explosion, and had come running to his study.  He was surveying the area in dismay, shaking his head sadly over the destruction of his collection – items that had taken years for his to amass.

            "And did you?" Darien asked, turning to face his father, his tone and posture completely hostile.

            "Not until last night when you brought her to the maze.  I just thought that she was some uppity little Ministry witch, come to check on the Malfoys, to make sure we were keeping to the law.  After the allegiances that some members," he said, pausing to glance at his son, "have made in the past, it is to be expected every now and then."

            "I didn't bring her to maze last night!  I never wanted any of you to find out about what she could do.  It was Danika that woke her up.  But that is besides the point, what do you know of this?" Draco asked, gesturing towards the still glowing symbol on the wall.  His uncle took a few more steps forward, examining the symbol.

            "I have seen this made before, only once.  It was about six years ago, among my last days in Guatemala…a group of wizards were experimenting with some of the artifacts that they had found, especially the wand.  It happened quite by accident, you see.  The old magical tools of Salazar Slytherin are not supposed to answer to anyone but one of his direct descendants, unless that person has a great deal of power.  The group was able, between all of them, to create enough power to create that symbol.  I confiscated the wand, not wanting something like that to be readily available to those who might not understand the power behind it," his uncle explained.

            "Well, no one here is a descendant of Slytherin!  The last one, Tom Riddle, is very good and dead.  So, who could have done this?" Darien demanded.  A horror-filled silence fell over the group, as Harry and Ron met each other's eyes, knowing what the other was thinking.

            "Someone who is both a very powerful witch, and has been possessed by the last Heir of Slytherin," Vincent said heavily.  "It breaks my heart to think of it.  I knew of what transpired because of my brother – Lucius was spitting mad when his ploy to entrap the girl didn't work. I did not know that she was very powerful.  If I had known…"

            "What are you talking about, Vincent?  What did my father do?" Draco demanded, looking back and forth between his uncle and his two childhood enemies.

            "We can explain all of that later.  But right now, we have bigger things to worry about.  Like where my baby sister is and what is going to happen to her!  So what if she's powerful and has a link to Salazar Slytherin?  What good will that do anyone?"

            "Whoever has been trying to pull down the charms and get hold of the unicorns, she's pretty useful right now."

            "Harry, you told me that the book of spells that is missing has to do with the uses of unicorn blood…and reincarnation!  What if that is what they need Ginny for?" Ron asked, his eyes wide with fear.

            "Who would they be looking to reincarnate?" Darien asked, his voice full of skepticism.

            "Voldemort," Vincent said ominously.  Harry look startled, and after what seemed to be a few moments of contemplation, shook his head.

            "No, I don't think that's it.  He has no followers left in the wizarding world.  This has been far too quiet for far too long.  We haven't been able to find even a clue of who is behind this!  No, if it was Voldemort, I think we'd all know about it by now."  A sigh of relief seemed to overcome most of the group (especially Ron) as that decision sunk in.  All except Draco Malfoy, who was currently stalking out of the room.

            "Draco, where are you going?" Darien demanded.

            "While all of you sit here discussing probable culprits and motives, I am going to go try to find Virginia before any of their evil plots have time to be put into action!"

* * * * *

            "Hermione, no!  Stay away from them!" Gabrielle hissed, crouching beside Hermione as they began to creep closer to those standing at the far end of the field.

            "Listen, do you want to get away from here or not?  As soon as I know what it is we're up against, we can go and find the boys, and get myself a wand, but I am not going to leave until I know for certain who is behind all of this!" Hermione answered back, whispering furiously.

            "There is nothing that we can do now!  They have Ginny under some kind of curse, doing whatever they want her to. Can't you see that's impossible for any of us to even _try_ to stop them?  She's far too powerful!" Gabrielle wailed.  Hermione frowned at her, giving her a strange look.

            "We are talking about little Ginny Weasley, aren't we?" she asked suspiciously.

            "Yes!  Please, Hermione, let's just get out of here before they take notice of us!" Gabrielle pleaded.

            "Not until I find out who that is!" she declared, pointing to the tall shape, draped in a long black cloak, face hidden by its hood.  Hermione crept closer to the huddle of three figures.  The shortest of the three, standing perfectly still, seeming to stare off into space, was undoubtedly Ginny.  Hermione wondered what kind of curse they had placed on her – she had, in the old D.A. days been very successful at throwing off the Imperius Curse, and she didn't think that anyone – no matter how powerful – would be able to keep her under its influence.  But there Ginny was, standing as still as a robot waiting for a command.  It was a very disturbing sight to Hermione.

            There was another person standing near to Ginny, slightly taller, with their face hidden and obstructed by the emanating silvery light.  Frowning, Hermione hoped that that light was not coming from some sort of spell, owing to the fact that she didn't have her wand and was defenseless against anything that they wanted to do.  By the tall figure's posture, Hermione assumed it was a woman, but she couldn't make out who it could possibly be.  And the tall, dark figure hovering behind them was also a mystery to Hermione.  But it was rather obvious that he was the one that was in charge, as she saw the other woman turned to him often enough, as if seeking his command.

            Surveying the area more closely, Hermione found another large tree that was jutting out slightly from the line of trees.  It was closer to the group, and it seemed large enough for her to huddle behind.  With a commanding whisper, she ordered the trembling Gabrielle to stay still, and crept carefully to the tree.  Crouching low behind it, she could see so much more from this perspective.

            With a start, she realized that the silver light that seemed to surround the group wasn't a light at all, but was caused by a group of shimmering creatures huddled protectively together not to far away from the three humans.  Hermione froze, struck frozen by the sight before her.  The small little girl that still became enchanted by the sight of magic awoke within her and all she could do was stare at them.  It brought her back to Hogwarts, to the Care of Magical Creatures class…just before the situation with Voldemort became very serious.

            Her sigh at the sight of them drew attention to her, and before she could react, she felt a cold, clammy hand on the back of her neck.  She jumped up, twisting around to free herself from that icy grip.

            "Let go of me!" she exclaimed, turning around to glare at the person who was holding her captive.  It was the tall dark person, his hand still clenched tightly around her neck.  She looked up to the hood, and squinted.  The person moved slightly, allowing a ray of light to illuminate his face…

            Hermione gasped in abject horror, almost falling to the ground as her knees weakened considerably.

            "It's impossible!  You…you died!" she cried.

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I put off writing two essays for this chapter, so if I fail, I'm holding all of you personally responsible! Haha.  Hope this longer chapter satisfies some of those demands for a longer update, even though…once again, I've left a cliff hanger (I can't help it, they're so much fun!)

Thanks for reading!


	33. Revelations

Sorry about the delay.  I'm bad bad author and started to write another story when I should have been working on this one…(It's called Blaze of Glory, and there's two chapters posted right now if you're interested).  I'm sorry about that, the plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone and it was getting in my way…  Here's a huge chapter, hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 33: Revelations**

"Draco, you can't just run out there and expect to have any control over the situation!" Darien called after him, running to catch up with his older cousin.  "If they have control over her, there will be nothing you can do, she's got too much power over you!"

            "Damn it, Darien, what do you want me to do?  She's bloody well out there, and we don't know who has her or what they intend to do with her!  Do you just want me to stand around and lament about how impossible the situation is?" an enraged Draco exploded, stopping abruptly as he turned to face his cousin, and the others who were trailing behind after them.  An awkward silence fell over the group.

            "Do you even know where they might be?" Harry asked.

            "Potter, despite all your fabulous Auror training, you can still be as dense as ever.  There's only one place they could be," Draco scoffed.

            "And where is that?" Ron demanded.

            "The maze," Darien said softly, realization showing in his eyes.  Draco nodded solemnly before he began to move again.

            "As much as we all want to make sure the girls are all right, there is a bigger picture that we also need to think about, Malfoy.  If they get their hand on the unicorns, there's no telling what kind of spells they'll be able to do!" Harry called.

            "Then the less you keep talking, the more time we have to make sure that doesn't happen!" Darien sneered, following closely after Draco.

            "This doesn't really seem to be a very Slytherin way of going about things, now does it?  I would have expected endless scheming and plotting before charging in," Ron said, uneasily.

            "What makes you think he hasn't been scheming and plotting this whole time?" Vincent asked with a pointed look and a characteristically Malfoy raised eyebrow.

* * * * *

            His grip on her slackened, and he smiled; a twisted, evil smile, full of malevolence and disdain.  Hermione, frozen still with shock, simply stared up at him, her mouth hanging open as she grappled for words.  Her mind was quickly running through all the possibilities, searching for a reason why he was standing in front of her, when by all accounts, he should be long since dead and buried.

            "You _died_," she whispered again, full of questions, but with a slight hint of hope in her eyes.  His cold, cruel laugh killed it before it could develop any further.

            "You thought I died.  You assumed I died.  If you had bothered to check, you would have discovered the truth," his voice, which had changed so much, now deep and chilling.  Hermione shivered involuntarily.  He released his grip on her, and she stumbled backwards, her legs shaking terribly.

            "Where have you been this whole time?  Why didn't you come back?  Let us know you were still alive?" she demanded suddenly, regaining her steps as she followed behind him as he strode towards Ginny.  He turned around, and shot her a cold look from underneath the hood.  He turned back to Ginny, still standing perfectly still and staring blankly ahead of her.  He pulled the rough wand out of her wands carefully, taking it and handing it to the woman beside him.

With a start, Hermione realized where she'd seen her before – she was Draco's cousin, Danika.  She felt a swell of anger sweep through her – the Malfoys had trapped them.  Again!  Fooled, and lead to believe that these Malfoys were different, when really they were all the same.

"It's time for you," he said to Ginny, who tilted her head slightly to look up at him, her eyes glassy and blank, then nodded slowly.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded, taking a step forward, arm reaching out towards Ginny.  Danika grabbed her, pushing her back away from them, as they moved slowly towards the herd of unicorns, all huddled together, fidgeting nervously.

"We need to protect them, Ginny.  You remember how to do that?  They all want to hurt them, and you don't want that to happen, do you?  Make sure no one gets past the line, Ginny.  Make sure no one gets past the line," he said, his voice deceptively soft and comforting, raising his wand and casting a glowing circle around the area where they stood.  Ginny again nodded, her eyes still vacant.

Danika pushed Hermione out past the line, just as a brilliant flash of red light illuminated the area.  Gasping at the sudden brightness, Hermione fell backwards as she felt a shockwave of power sweep through her, taking her feet right out from underneath her.  She watched in horror as she saw Ginny, through the blinding light, standing in the center of the circle, her hand extended and eyes closed – obviously concentrating on maintaining the spell.  Jumping to her feet with a groan, and ignoring the sudden stabbing pain in her wrist, Hermione tentatively stepped forward with her hand outstretched, edging carefully towards the boundary of the circle.

She yelped in pain, yanking back her hand, as it came in contact with an invisible barrier that sparked when she made contact.  She saw the evil glint in his eyes as he stared back at her, triumphant that she couldn't get through.  His plan was working.  Hermione's quick mind was sorting through the different possibilities as to what his full intentions were – other than just keeping people away from the unicorns.  She watched, her mind quickly analyzing the situation, when she saw a glint of silver in his hand, and his body turning slowly towards the huddled group of creatures at the far end of the circle.

            "NO!" Hermione screamed, as he took an ominous step forward.  "Ginny, snap out of it!  He's going to hurt the unicorns!  You have to stop him!"

            Ginny's eyes opened, but she stayed frozen in position, maintaining the spell, her vacant eyes staring straight ahead of her.

* * * *

            Harry and Ron were trudging through the snow behind the Malfoys, heading deeper into the woods beside the manor, unaware of which direction they were heading.  Just when a frustrated Ron was about to demand to know where exactly they were going, a violent tremor shook the ground, knocking him off balance, and the sky seemed to light up with a strange red light.  As he caught himself against a tree before actually falling to the ground, he heard cry of pain and a few muttered curses up ahead.  With a glance at Harry, they both ran forward, until they caught up with the three other men.

            Draco was bracing himself against a tree, his face extremely pale and his lips pursed against the pain.  He gasped a few times; as he felt a violent tremor of pain rip through his body, but he managed to force it back enough to regain his composure.

            "What's wrong with him?" Ron demanded of the grave-looking faces of the other two Malfoys.

            "The spells and charms around the sanctuary have been torn down," Vincent explained.

            "Why is it affecting him?" Harry asked, gesturing towards Draco who was almost doubled over in pain again.

            "B-because it's my land, my responsibility and my spells," Draco spat out, through his painful gasping.

            "Your land?  I thought it was your uncle's?" Ron asked.  Vincent shook his head.

            "The property, as well as the burden of our responsibility gets passed to the eldest male.  Lucius was my older brother, and when he died, it became Draco's.  We've been living here for many years, though, when Lucius decided to build his estates in Britain, and we've been helping Draco with his responsibility ever since it became his, but ultimately, it's all connected to him," he explained gravely, helping his nephew to his feet.  Draco stood, looking at his conspirators.

            "Well, what are we all standing around here for?" he barked suddenly.  "We're almost there."

            Before anyone could protest his comments or the foolishness of charging into an unknown situation, he had turned on his heel and was headed again, towards the center of the maze, where the red light was emanating from.  No one commented about the slight painful stagger to his stride as they followed in silence.

* * * *

            A simultaneous gasp of horror swept through the three Malfoy men as they broke through the tree line and stepped into the clearing.  The once green and luscious field was now frozen and covered in snow, the protective magic that had kept it in a constant state of summer having been decimated.  The center of eternal life that Draco had always known had been destroyed.  His eyes scanned the area, a cold rage beginning to run through his body.

            "Harry!" a tearful voice called out.  In a flash of blond, he saw Gabrielle dashing across the clearing from behind the large oak by the now-frozen pond.  Draco was relieved to see his cousin, but was concerned that she was alone.  Where were the others?  He tried not to roll his eyes as the hero Potter stepped forward, sweeping his fiancée into his arms as she started sobbing into his shoulder.

            "Gabby, it's okay, it's all going to be okay," Harry said, his knees going weak with relief.  If anything had happened to her, after their last conversation…he never would have forgiven himself.  Pulling away suddenly, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears, Gabrielle turned to her father and cousin.

            "Danika…it's Danika helping him," she said in anguish.  She watched as the information swept through them; her father and Darien both recoiling from the news.  Draco's face remained frozen, impassive.

            "Where's Hermione and Ginny?" Harry asked gently.

            "They have Ginny behind the barrier spell – I'm pretty sure she's the one that's casting it, and Hermione's up there, trying to find a way to break through and stop them," Gabrielle said.  Draco made to move forward, when Vincent held him back.

            "Hold on, Draco.  If she's the one powering the spell, there's nothing you can do, especially against a barrier charm.  You'd have to be on the other side to break it," Vincent said, meeting his nephew's dark and dangerous eyes.  Draco stared back at his uncle, before shaking off his grip, and stepping out into the field.

* * * *

            Hermione stood, helpless, as she watched him move closer to the herd, the long knife in his hand glinting the red light.

            "'Mione!" she heard a familiar voice call out.  She turned, with a great sigh of relief, Harry, Ron, Draco and his cousin and uncle running towards her.  Before she could even say anything, Ron had swept her up into a quick but fierce hug, before releasing her almost immediately.

            "What do you think you're on about, just disappearing without a word to anyone?" he demanded angrily.

            "Ron, focus please!" she responded, gesturing towards the barrier.  Draco reached forward, testing the limits of the barrier.  Hermione reached out, slapping his hand back.

            "Trust me, you don't want to do that," she warned.

            "I need to get through there," he said, looking around as if searching for a crack in the spell that he would be able to sneak in through.  His eyes caught sight of Ginny for the first time, and he felt his stomach give a painful lurch as his brain absorbed the sight of her; stiff, frozen and blank.  Almost as if she wasn't really there.

            "What's wrong with Ginny?" Ron was asking Hermione.

            "I don't know.  I think she's under some kind of spell.  It couldn't be the Imperius Curse, we all learned to throw that off years ago in the DA.  It's something much stronger.  What do you think, Harry?"

            "Did you see what was left on the wall in the library after the explosion?" he asked her, his green eyes clouded in thought.

            "No, we were Portkeyed away, I didn't see any explosion."

            "You're talking about the Slytherin symbol.  You think this has something to do with Ginny and her being the Heir of Slytherin?" Ron asked.

            "I believe so.  She's completely under someone's control, and I don't know how we'll be able to get through to her.  She's completely his," Vincent said gravely.

            Draco wasn't paying any attention to the conversation around him.  He was too busy staring at the disturbing sight of Ginny staring blankly back at him.  He could feel her magic in the spell creating the barrier between them, and could feel his own power surge as it recognized hers.

            "I need to get on the other side," he said, interrupting the discussion of theories and possible explanations.

            "Are you mad, Malfoy?  You can't break the spell, not from this side.  All of us together couldn't!" Hermione protested.  Draco, with a distant smile upon his face, turned to his companions as he reached his hand out, through the line of the barrier.  A collective gasp swept through the group as they watched his fingertips breach the barrier, eliciting a series of red sparks around him as the spell tried to block him.

            "You're all forgotten one thing.  This land belongs to me.  This responsibility is mine. And so is she," he said, before he took a step through the barrier.

* * * * 

            Pain wracked through his body as the spell pushed hard against him, trying to expel him from the circle.  He forced himself forward, taking slow and painful steps as he edged his way forward, closer to Ginny.  The closer he got, the more the power was pushing against him.

            He grew weaker and weaker the closer he got, but he continued to move forward, until, gasping and desperately weak, he was close enough to reach her.  He grabbed her hands, and immediately felt the crackle of energy spark between them, surging forward in strength.

            The pressure was immediately eased, and he felt his strength return.  Ginny's fingers felt slack in his hands, but the energy was there.  With his renewed power, he tightened his grip on her hands, and felt a dull throb begin to pound through his brain.  He felt a surge of joy sweep through is body as he recognized the rhythmic beat.  As the power crackled, fully charged, between their hands, he concentrated on her faint heartbeat that he could feel inside of himself, and pulled her hands to his chest, placing them over his heart.  _She belonged to him, the reaction of their magic proved it.  No one could control her while she was still his._

            Her brown eyes were staring up at him, still glassy and blank.  He touched his hand to her cheek, staring down at her, concentrating on the growing strength of her heartbeat.  He felt the power within him surge forward, recovered from the strain of entering the barrier, and he released it.

            The heartbeat throbbing in his head started to pound almost painfully, but he held on.  She blinked; once, twice.  The brown eyes seemed to clear, and her hands on his chest relaxed.  A look of confusion came over her face.  He smiled.

            "Welcome back," he whispered, pulling her to him in a quick and possessive movement and wrapping his arms protectively around her, more relieved than he was willing to admit that the stiff and robotic essence was gone.

            "What's going on?" she mumbled into his chest, weak and vulnerable, grateful for his strength helping to keep her on her feet.

            "It's a long story," he said with an ironic smile, as he gazed down at her now-clear and vibrant brown eyes, brushing a stray hair out of her face.  He spotted movement out of the corner of his eyes, and swung around – only to see a tall figure standing before him, wand poised and ready to attack.  He pulled Ginny behind him, stepping in front of her.  She elbowed him out of her way, moving to stand beside him.

            "Don't make a single move," the cold and icy voice ordered.  He felt Ginny's hand in his go slack, as she gasped; a sound of utter shock.

            "_Neville?_"

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Congratulations to those who guessed who was under the hood.  A lot of people guessed Voldemort/Tom Riddle, Lucius Malfoy…And a lot of people seemed to want it to be Sirirus…but Sirius can't be evil!  He's Sirius!

Explanations to come with later chapters…there's still a lot more action to come! Stay tuned!


	34. Family Alliances

Note at end of chapter.

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**Chapter 34: Family Alliances**

"Ginny, take down the barrier!" Ron was calling, watching in horror as the dark-robed figure loomed over her and Draco, wand pointing threateningly in their faces.  The magical barrier around them and the unicorns still crackled and hummed, warning all of them to keep their distance.

            "It looks like he's broken the spell that was on her," Hermione commented, a hint of frustration in her voice as looked down at her hands, red and tender from her contact with the barrier.  Ron placed a hand on her shoulder.

            "Hermione, are you hurt?" he demanded suddenly, spotting her inspection of her hands.

            "I'm fine.  But we're going to need some help here, Ron.  I'm worried that they might get their hands on the unicorns and get away before we can stop them, and we can't let that happen," Hermione said.  Ron nodded.

            "Yeah, you're right.  Come with me, we'll go round up some Aurors."  Hermione shook her head.

            "My wand is broken.  You should go, get some help and grab a spare wand for me…and take Gabrielle with you.  She's far too…emotional to be of much help, and I'm sure Harry will be less distracted knowing she's safe," Hermione said decidedly.  Ron stared at her for a long moment, before he sighed, and nodded.

            "Just be careful, 'Mione.  I don't like leaving you here without a wand," he said with a weak smile, before he walked to where Harry and Gabrielle were huddled, to tell them of the new plan.  He gave a backwards glance at Hermione, standing just at the edge of the barrier, staring in at his sister and Malfoy.  
            "Don't worry about Ginny, Ron.  Draco won't let anything happen to her while you're gone," she said, reassuring him.

* * * *

            "Danika!  Danika, don't do this!" he was pleading, watching her taking over where her master had left off, approaching the herd of unicorns with the silver dagger shinning threateningly in the moonlight.  The creatures scattered away from her at his cry, and she swung around to glare at her brother, her normally pale blond hair glowing red through the barrier.

            "Bugger off, Darien!  This has nothing to do with you!   I'm not going to stand for you interfering in my life like you did last time!" she yelled, her arms crossed petulantly.

            "But why?  I don't understand why you are doing this!  Don't you care about them?  Don't you care about our duty, our promise to protect them?  Does our family mean nothing to you?" he called to her, desperate to try to understand her motives.

            "Don't you see, that's why I'm doing this Darien!  We'll be free from the curse of looking after them.  We won't be the target of anyone trying to get at them anymore, and this will help to make the world a better place.  The kind of world that the Dark Lord wanted – the kind of world that Uncle Lucius always spoke about!" she declared.

            "Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to help their kind, Danika?  What happened when they thought you betrayed them?  I won't be able to save you this time!" Darien called, trying desperately to talk some sense into his sister.

            "I don't need you now and I didn't need you then!  Now get out of here before one of you gets hurt," she said, with a hint of warning in her voice, before she turned her back on him and stalked off, her eyes scanning the field for her prey.

* * * *

"Ah, Ginny, it seems you have remembered me after all.  All this time, and you still know my name," the cold and twisted voice laughed.  Draco felt Ginny's hands tightened around his, and he felt her shudder at the sound of the cold voice.

            "But you fell!  I saw her spell hit you, and you fell," Ginny whispered, stepping forward, ignoring the menacing gesture Neville was making with his wand.  She felt as though the whole world was spinning wildly around her, and the only thing keeping her from flying off of it was the strong hand holding on to hers.  She could hear voices beyond the barrier calling at her, but she couldn't think, couldn't see anything other than the person standing in front of her.

            "And did you _bother_ to check to see if I was alive?  Did you pause for a moment in your celebrating after the great hero brought down the Dark Lord to see if poor little Neville Longbottom was actually able to survive a direct hit with a minor curse?" he snarled, thrusting his wand in her face.  She backed away from him, but was still unable to tear her eyes away from him.  _Alive, he was alive.  All this time, all the time she'd spent, wracked with guilt and regret, and he was alive!_

            "You saved my life, and I never got a chance to thank you for it," she said softly, looking up at the man standing before her.  Kind, innocent, fumbling Neville Longbottom – it was so hard to imagine that the boy she'd known could possibly have grown into this  - twisted, cruel and cold.  The pale, impassive face didn't react to her words.

            "Did you ever think to wonder where my body went to?  Why it wasn't there after the battle?  Did you even pause for a moment in your joy to remember that I had died?" he demanded, his face twisting frighteningly as he spat out his words.

            "There wasn't time, Neville!  After Voldemort was killed, the Death Eaters grew desperate and we would have all been killed if we stayed.  We went back, after, to try to find you.  If I had known there was even the chance you would still be alive, I would have found you.  Harry, Hermione and Ron, too," she said, grateful as she felt Draco's hand on hers, reassuring her, keeping her grounded in reality.  "Where have you been?  Why didn't you let us know that you were still alive?"

            "He saw the curse I used to take down Bellatrix Lestrange, and he was impressed.  After you all fled to save your own skins, he brought me with him.  A place where they could mold my potential and help me become powerful.  There was a new plan developing, even though the Dark Lord had fallen, there was another who could rise to take his place.  One of the founders, and he knew of a way to ensure that happened.  They would need all the help they could get, and since the supposedly 'good' side didn't seem to care whether I lived or died, I should be with a group of people who could appreciate my talents," he said.

            "Guatemala.  You went to Guatemala, to the wizard colony that Salazar Slytherin founded after he left Hogwarts.  It was rumored that a lot of former Death Eaters escaped there after Voldemort was killed," Draco said, finally seeing his opening to breaking the silence.

            "Yes.  Interesting place, that was.  Amazing things you could learn there.  They taught me more than I could ever have learned at Hogwarts.  I finally understood, you see, the reason why they wanted to get rid of Muggles and Mudbloods in our world!" he declared proudly.

            "Neville, how could you believe that?  Don't you remember what they did to your parents?" Ginny asked, horrified.  He ignored her question, and turned his attention to Draco, staring at him as a thick silence fell over them.  Draco met his icy gaze unflinchingly.

            "Do you know what he said to me?  Good and evil are only perceptions – the true meaning changes with every person you meet, so it doesn't really matter all that much.  The only thing that does matter, that doesn't change is—"

            "—Power.  It's something he was always saying when I was growing up," Draco said, cutting Neville off.  Ginny realized who the "he" was in Neville's explanation as he said that, and felt her stomach leap in horror.  "But the funny thing about that is that I understood when I was very young just how full of crap he was – his worshipped Dark Lord lost his power because of a baby!  Obviously power does change, you can never count on it."

            "You're wrong, Draco Malfoy.  I don't know how they turned you against your own father, but when he told me what he was willing to sacrifice in order to bring back the most powerful magician in the history of wizards; it was only then that I realized how great of a man he was," Neville yelled, walking forward slowly until his wand was poised just at Draco's throat.

            "Yeah, he was a real treat.  He killed his wife because he was afraid she might tell the Aurors all his little secrets.  He killed innocent women and children who couldn't defend themselves.  He betrayed his family and his duty, and for what?  To bow down before some other broken wizard, another 'powerful Dark Lord' who'd already been destroyed once before?  He was a coward and a disgrace to the Malfoy name, and it was the only good thing I've ever done in my entire life, stopping him from harming my unicorns!" Draco's voice, starting off low became increasingly louder with each word, until his cherished control was lost and he was yelling in the face of man who he'd teased endlessly as a child.

            Ginny watched in horror as she saw Neville's face grow red, and he seemed to attempting to control the rage that was building up within him.  She looked back to Draco, still clutching his hand, and saw the very same kind of anger in him.

            "He was a man who taught me everything I now know, who is the closest thing I've ever had to a father!" Neville screamed.

            "He was a bloody bastard who only spared your life because he knew you'd be useful and easily manipulated!" Draco answered back.  Neville took a step back, as though he'd been slapped.  He glared, his hands twitching, and he was sputtering as if trying to find something to say.  He face was so red, and his eyes were blazing with rage.  He raised his wand hand again, and took aim.

            As the spell he was uttering left his lips, and the bright light flashed from his wand, Ginny unleashed her control over her power.  A blast of red light filled the area, and as the shockwave of magic rolled over the land, bowling Neville down to his feet, she grasped Draco's hand tighter, and ran.

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First of all, WOW!  Everyone's reaction was WELL worth all the time I've spent working on this story, just to get to that point.  On FF.net, that chapter alone got 23 reviews!  *I* nearly fell of my chair when I saw that, so thank you!

Secondly, for all of you who have threatened my life because of the "evil Neville" factor, I hope this chapter has helped to clear away some of your fears.  This Neville is not the same sweet, innocent, loyal boy we meet in the books.  He's been twisted and changed irrevocably by events in his life so actually – OUR Neville really did die that night (at least in my story).  So, no more threats, please?

And third, next chapter coming up soon, I have time on my hands and want/need to try to finish this story before exams start (which is less than two weeks away).  So have no fears, more is coming.


	35. The Escape

Just a little quickie I wrote waiting for the O.C. to start.

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Chapter 35: The Escape

            Harry was thrown backwards, knocked off his feet, as the red shockwave swept across the ground, shattering the barrier that stood in its path.  As he landed on his back, splayed haphazardly on the grass, he heard a sound of successive _pops_, signaling that wizards were Apparating all around him.  Jumping to his feet, he looked around, and saw Ron standing with six other Aurors, all with wands poised and ready to react to any threat.

            A thunderous sound stole his attention away, and he barely had time to jump out of the way as the entire crowd of silvery creatures tore out of the contained area, stampeding away from danger.  After he was cleared from the danger, he watched in awe as they swept over the green field, sparkling in the pale moonlight.  They all fled across the great expanse of field, pausing as they reached the far end with the pond.

            "NO!" he heard Danika scream, as she raced after them, dagger poised dangerously in her hand.  He saw Darien take off after her, so he figured that the creatures would be safe now.  He turned his attention back to where Ginny and Draco had been facing off with the man who was seemingly in charge.  They had fled as the barrier fell, and Harry caught the last glimpse of his black cloak through the trees as he chased after them.

            Catching eye contact with Ron and Hermione, Harry started to chase after him, figuring that Ginny and Draco would need a hand.  He knew that Hermione and especially Ron wouldn't be too far behind him.

            "Wait!  I need your help!" Vincent Malfoy called, before Harry got very far.  The trio stopped abruptly, turning to face the elder Malfoy, who was now standing at the center of the field.  "We need to recast the charms around the sanctuary or else there will be no chance at stopping his followers from coming."

* * * *

            As soon as he felt the barrier fall victim to the magical blast from Ginny Weasley, Darien pushed past the shockwave, driving into the center of their circle.  He ran, desperate to catch his sister.  She had one hand tangled in the mane of the patriarch of the herd, the eldest male, the knife placed at its throat, ready to make the kill.  The impact from the shockwave shook the ground she was standing on, but she managed to keep her balance.  Sensing the failure of the barrier keeping everyone out, she swung her head around to see her brother dashing towards her.  Desperate, she closed her eyes, and pierced the hide of the unicorn.  Darien stopped dead in his tracks, as he watched his little sister wound the unicorn.

            "Danika, stop!" he screamed, pointing his wand at her.  She paused with a vicious smile at she turned to him.

            "You know that I won't," she said, holding up the dagger that was now shinning with the silvery glow of unicorn blood to taunt him.  Steeling himself and forcing himself to focus, he aimed his wand and uttered a spell, hoping that it would work.

            A loud crack filled the air, and a brilliant flashed blinded his eyes for a moment, but then the thundering sound of a herd of hundred stampeding towards him filled his ears.  He turned as they ran past him, terrified by the noise and eager to get as far away from it as possible, triumphant that they were escaping danger.

            "NO!" Danika screamed as she chased after them, watching as the opportunity she'd had vanished before her eyes.  Their father was standing in a circle with Potter, Weasley and Granger, and a few other wizards who had appeared, blocking her way to them.  Darien could see that they were in the process of casting a spell, and he assumed that it was in order to recreate the protective charms.

            She stopped still in her tracks, and a stricken look came over her face.  Within a few moments, she was well aware, the spell would be put into place, and any enemies of the creatures or individual who wished to do them harm would be magically expelled from the sanctuary, unable to ever return.  Her hands were trembling, and a soft sob escaped her lips as her father turned from his spell to cast his daughter a look of deep loathing.

            "The Aurors, as soon as they are finished helping him, will take you into custody, Danika.  It's all over," Darien said, approaching her carefully.  She glanced towards the tree line, obviously planning an escape.  For a few moments full of loaded silence, she glanced from her brother to the forest, and back again.  There was a pleading in her eyes, begging him to let her go.

            "Did you forget all that I tried to do for you the first time, Danika?  What I took on my arm for you, to ensure that you would be safe in their fold?  You promised me after the first time that this would never happen again.  And then I find you here, doing something that we are sworn to protect against!" he snarled at her.  She simply nodded, unable to meet his eyes.  Darien sighed, a long and painful sigh.  

            "I won't say I'm sorry, because I'm not," she said, defiantly, holding her head high.

            "If I let them take you, then everything that I did for you will have been for nothing.  If you leave, it is forever.  I never want to see you again," he said, as he walked past her.  He walked towards the circle formed of his father and the Aurors, and didn't look back until he reached them.

* * * *

            She clutched at his hand as she dashed haphazardly through the trees, ignoring the sting of branches as they caught at her hair and scratched at her face.  She could hear Neville's cry of outrage echoing through the woods, and the heavy fall of footsteps behind them.  Gasping for breath, she paused to look behind her, and she saw the dark figure of Neville getting closer to them.  Looking ahead of them, she saw two possible paths.

            "Which way?" she asked, before a flash of light hit a tree behind them.  The trunk exploded in a rain of splinters and smoke, blinding her momentarily.  Draco pulled her down to the ground, ducking behind some brush to hide their whereabouts from his vision.  Draco pointed his wand, throwing a retaliatory curse in Neville's directions, swearing softly as it missed its target.

            "Where the hell are Potter and his little gang?  Could really use their help at the moment," Draco muttered, distractedly pulling Ginny closer to him to shield her from another blast exploding the brush in front of them.  He jumped up, reaching down to pull Ginny up with him, and they began to run again, dodging the series of curses that were being hurled at them.  His long legs allowed him to keep a faster pace, and he ended up half-dragging Ginny behind him.

            Just as she felt that she was going to loose her balance, he had stopped again, behind a very large tree.  He was surveying the area, as if searching for something in particular.

            "We need to separate," Ginny said, breathing heavily.  Draco was about to protest, when another blast interrupted him.  Ginny stared into his intense silver eyes, her own eyes full of determination and strength.  It was that that made him agree – it was the spark of stubborn determination that he recognized from their first encounter in her office with Minister Fudge.

            "Take that path just down there, and follow it all the way.  It should lead you to the spot I took you the night you found out about the sanctuary.  I'll cover you until you're far enough away, you're the one he's after.  Don't leave the path, and wait there until I get there," he said, pointing to the right of where they were standing.  Ginny nodded, and as she turned to leave, Draco's hand snatched at hers, swinging her back around to him.  He seized her lips with his again, a brief searing kiss, before pushing her away and down the path.

            "I'll find you there," he said, as he watched her begin to run through the trees, dodging branches and winding her way down the path.  With a little luck, Longbottom would forget about Draco, and chase after Ginny, allowing him to come up from behind and stop him.


	36. The Catalyst

Thanks for the reviews, as always everyone!  Hoping to have another update by the end of the week, I need to finish the story before the end of the month, because after that, I'm away from school, working in the real world (allowing no time for writing, unfortunately).

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**Chapter 36: The Catalyst**

Ginny trampled through the forest, with only the sparse moonlight to guide her.  A million thoughts were running through her head.  She was still in shock – how could Neville be the enemy?  Let alone the fact that he was alive, but that he was the person responsible for the attacks on the unicorns.  And the biggest blow of all; he'd used his knowledge of her experience in the Chamber of Secrets and had exploited it to use her.

            Her parents were surprised that she hadn't suffered any lingering affects from the possession of her body by Tom Riddle.  Ginny, after a relatively short amount of time spent wallowing in anguish over guilt for attacking her friends and unleashing a monster on her school.  But the biggest trauma she'd suffered throughout the whole ordeal was the feeling of absolute stupidity – her naiveté and blind trust of someone she couldn't see had led her down a dangerous path, and so many people knew about how stupid she'd been.  The humiliation and the shame of it was the one thing that haunted her the most.

            Neville understood that.  The fumbling, clumsy and forgetful boy who was always messing up in Potions and costing his House points had understood her completely when she talked about the humiliation she suffered because of her stupidity.  It had been after the Triwizard Yule Ball; he'd mumbled a fumbling apology about his clumsiness and for stepping on her feet constantly throughout the night.  The look on his face had sparked a sense of familiarity within Ginny.  They were alike in so many ways; bound to suffer from actions they had no control over, they were both on the outer fringes of the Trio of her brother, Hermione and Harry – and most importantly, they were both the visible invisible of Griffyndor House.

            She thought that he was a kindred spirit.  Someone who she could tell the details she remembered from her time as the Heir of Slytherin to, without fearing their reaction to her stupidity.  He could sympathize with her, and he never judged her.  She trusted him.  She told him all her secrets about that misadventure.  And here he was, alive and exploiting her trust.  Making her feel ashamed and humiliated, over the simple act of trusting a friend who had turned around and betrayed her.

            As she ran blindly through the woods, those thoughts kept flashing through her mind.  Before she realized it, the shroud of shock was suddenly cast away, and all that was left was anger.  The more that she thought about the situation, the hotter the anger burned, until she felt her face flame in unspent rage.  She poured her energy into her footfalls, lengthening her stride and quickening her pace.  _She would rather die than be caught by him_.

            She longed for her wand, a stray thought remembering that it was placed carefully on the nightstand beside her bed.  If the situation arose, she knew that she could use her power without the help of the wand.  But her control was fragile – she had been controlled by another force, had enacted terribly strong magic to create the magical barrier, and had blasted away the spell in order to escape from Neville.  Deep inside her mind, the fear that she may not be able to control the strength and direction of any spell she tried to use nagged at her.

            She could see the spot that Draco was supposed to meet her, about a hundred yards away from her.  Casting a backwards glance over her shoulder, she scanned the dark forest, hoping to catch a glance of blond hair shining in the moonlight.  As she turned her attention back to the terrain, her foot caught on a root jutting out from the ground, and her full-speed pace sent her flying uncontrollably to the ground.

            In the speed of her fall, and in her distracted state, she was unable to put her hands out to catch her, and with a stab of fear, she saw the dirty path come closer and closer to her face.  She managed a small cry before she collided, head on, with the ground.  An explosion of pain had her gasping in shock, causing her to cough as she inhaled dirt from the ground from her gasping breaths.  She could taste a familiar metallic taste in her mouth; blood from a now-split lip.

            Crying out from the pain and dizziness as she pushed herself up to her knees, Ginny tried to work up enough energy to stand and continue to run.  She was so close.  Touching her lip, grimacing as it burned with pain, she took a deep breath and gave a great push to stand up.  And screamed as she felt her hair pulled, snapping her head back.  A knee dug painfully into her back, keeping her immobile as his hand twisted through her loose strands of hair, securing his hold on her.

            "You just had to get involved in this, didn't you, Ginny?  Everything was going along just fine – Danika's reports indicated that our spells would have deteriorated the protection around the unicorns in a few more days.  A few more days, Ginny!" he raged, grabbing her roughly by the arm and hauling her to her feet.  Her vision whirled at the sudden movement as a wave of pain washed over her, and she stumbled backwards.

            "I made a promise that I would do whatever I could to stop all Dark Magic, Neville.  I couldn't let you or anyone destroy the unicorns," she stammered, ignoring the burning pain in her face as she spoke.  His grip around her arm tightened painfully as his anger overwhelmed him.  He pushed her backwards, slamming her up against a tree.

            "You always were the virtuous little Gryffindor, weren't you?" he sneered at her, smirking as she struggled painfully against his grip.

            "I made that promise because I saw firsthand what Dark Magic could do when I saw you die," she gasped as he pressed her painfully into the tree.  She struggled to free her arms – if she could just position them properly, she'd be able to use her power to throw him back, the same way she had done to Darien in the corridor a few nights prior.  But he seemed to be aware of what she was trying to do, and had shifted his grip to hold her wrists above her head, keeping her powerless.

            "How can you think that all this is so terrible of me, Ginny?  Weren't you the one who set a dangerous creature on her Housemates and Petrified her friends, in her first year alone?  Weren't you the bloody Heir of Slytherin?  You should have wanted this!  To bring back the greatest Wizard in History!" Neville exclaimed.

            "If he's so great, then why did he bloody well end up dead in the first place?" Ginny yelled, unable to control herself against the repulsion she felt at his endless litany of compliments for Salazar Slytherin.  She watched as she could see his face slowly grow red in rage, and cried out as he struck her.

* * * * *

            It was a forest that he had spent his summers exploring, the place that he had escaped the pressures and tensions that encompassed his family.  He was usually sent to stay with his uncle's family during the summer, and those were the times when he would actually live the life of a child.  No endless history lessons, learning the noble purposes behind the Dark Arts, no ceaseless need to be perfect.  His father, as Draco got older, would begin to spend a few weeks at the manor in Bulgaria, citing the need to 'teach' Draco about the land and the history so that when it became his, he would be prepared for the responsibilities.  How he resented his interruption into the golden days of his youth.

            His knowledge of the forest allowed him to cut easily through the trees, finding the shortest way to the point he was to meet Ginny.  He could hear Ginny trampling through the brush, and the heavy footsteps close behind her.  He managed to double back silently, until he came up behind Neville.

            He could hear their voices, carried to him on the wind.  Crouching down low, hidden in the bushes, he peered between the branches and watched the interaction.  Neville had pulled Ginny down off the ground, roughly slamming her into a tree.  Draco felt his muscles tense and a cold rage begin to spread throughout his body as he caught a glimpse of her face – her lip was swollen and bleeding, and there was a nasty-looking abrasion on her forehead.  He withdrew his wand, watching carefully, planning a strategy. He glanced down the path, and smiled in relief as his Slytherin mind jumped into work and started plotting.

            And when he heard her cry out and saw Neville strike her, all his plotting flew out the window, and before he could even think, he was charging from the bushes, wand all forgotten.  He grabbed Neville, tearing him away from where he had Ginny trapped against the tree.  He could barely see, he was so enraged.  Draco threw him to the ground and just attacked blindly, striking wherever he could, expelling his rage with each blow he landed.  He could hear Ginny yelling in the background, but his focus was entirely on injuring his opponent.  The sickening thud of his hand making contact with Neville's face filled his ears, and he refused to stop even when his hands were covered in his blood.

            "Draco, stop it, you're going to kill him!" Ginny shrieked, and he felt her pulling him away.  Neville was moaning softly on the ground, his hands clutching his face.

            "What a loss that would be!" he spat back, his anger not completely exorcised at the moment.  But then his eyes focused on her face; smudged with dirt and blood, slightly swollen from the impact of her fall and Neville's strike.  She was staring up at him intently, her eyes pleading with him.

            "Please, Draco, I could have prevented his death once, and didn't.  I can't see it happen again," she whispered, looking away from him.  He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the last flares of anger drain away, replaced completely with concern for her.

            "We'll have to take him back to the field, and let Potter and the other Aurors take care of him," he relented.  He reached a hand up to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing away a smudge of dirt.  He smiled at her, reassuring.  There was a look in her eyes that was very disturbing to him – undoubtedly the reality of all that had happened was beginning to take hold.  A loud moan behind them reminded him of the fact that there was a Dark wizard lying on ground, while injured, he was still a threat.

            Draco quickly conjured magical restraints for Neville, and bent down to pull him up off the ground.  Neville struggled violently, and Draco cast Ginny an anguished look as he tightened his grip on him.

            "If you don't stop struggling, I'll Stupefy you," Draco warned.

            "Why did you stop?  You know I'll never stop.  They'll never be safe as long as I'm alive, as long as my followers still know of their existence," he gasped.  He was a horrifying vision, his face twisted with hate and covered in blood.  Ginny had to look away, unable to correlate the corrupted person in front of her with the innocent boy she had been friends with.

            "Because if I didn't, then I'd be far too much like you – and my father – to be of comfort," Draco answered.  "In fact, I think I'd rather die a horrible death than look in the mirror and know that I'm like either of you."

            A series of pops filled the air, and suddenly they were surrounded by people.  Harry, Hermione and Ron, along with a few other Aurors that Ginny recognized from the Ministry were all standing around them, wands pointing at Draco and Neville in the center.  Draco, caught of guard by the sudden interrupted, released Neville (his hand still bound by the magical restraints).  The momentary distraction was all that Neville needed, as he lunged forward, and pulled Draco's wand from his hands.

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Sorry about the cliffhanger, but stopping Neville couldn't be THAT easy, could it?


	37. Sacrifices

Okay, so it's another short chapter, but we're right in the middle of action, so the chapters are going to be short (it helps build suspense) à but also, I have a lot of studying to do (exam time!) so what I can get done in between finals is what I post!  Hope you enjoy.

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Chapter 37: Sacrifices

Ginny dove forward, her mind lost in the rush of adrenaline that overwhelmed her senses.  She couldn't see, she couldn't think.  The only thing that was registering in her mind was that there had been a wand pointed to his head, and now, the sound of a spell cast.  She pushed past the reaching arms of the Aurors around her, seeking to hold her back and she ignored the sound of her brother screaming her name.  She reached her hands out and threw herself forward, pushing Draco sideways, the force of the impact sending them both sprawling to the ground.

            She hard landed on the ground, and she groaned loudly, rolling with the impact onto her back.  Her body was screaming in protest; her fall earlier that night added to the physical strain that she'd been under lately was compounding into a stiffness that was protesting her movements.  The world seemed to swirl before her eyes, and she felt an aftershock of pain flash through her head, causing her to cry out in pain.  Groaning, she clutched her head and felt the stickiness of dried blood on her forehead: reminding her of the abrasion she'd earned earlier when she tripped.  She took a few deep breaths to clear her mind and exorcise the pain.

            As her vision cleared, she found herself looking into a pair of gray eyes, staring down at her.  She smiled slightly but then winced as her split lip began to burn from the movement.  She felt gentle fingers brushing her hair away from her face, caressing the side of her cheek.  Even as the pain throbbed in her head, giving her the telltale signs of a concussion, she felt it ease away with the brush of his fingers, as he moved his hand downwards to cup her cheek.

            As she focused more, she was taken aback by the fierce look in his eyes.  She could hear a rumble of voices in the background, their words melding together to form a murmur that made it impossible to make out exactly what was being said.  All that she could focus on entirely were the silvery-gray eyes glaring down at her.

            "What did you think you were doing?" he asked, his voice gruff and curt.  She blinked in surprised.

            "His wand was pointed straight at your head.  He was going to curse you! " she answered, frowning.  The answer was so obvious, wasn't it?  Before she could fully figure out why he was angry with her, his hands were pulling her up into a sitting position, wrapping around her and gathering her into a tight hug.  She could feel her magic stirring at his closeness, and she could again hear the steady hum of his heartbeat once again.  She could feel his breath warm against her neck.

            "Don't ever do anything like that again.  Not for me.  Never for me," he was whispering fiercely, as his arms tightened around her, to reassure himself that she was safe.

* * * * *

            "He Disapparated!  He's gone!" Harry shouted, as pandemonium among the Aurors broke out.

            "Where do you think he would have gone?" Hermione shouted over the din as the other Aurors were quickly shouting orders to each other.

            "Can we cast a Locating Spell on him?" Ron asked, pulling Hermione and Harry away from the group so that they could assess the situation better, out of the center of the noise.

            "It won't work.  According to Ministry records, he died on December 17th, six years ago.  We won't be able to find him," Hermione said, shaking her head.  Harry looked deep in thought, his green eyes flashing as his mind jumped into action.

            "There are new spells in place to protect the unicorns, so he wouldn't go back to the center of the maze.  His plans are now ruined, because there is nothing he can do, now that Danika is gone, and he's lost his control over Ginny," Harry said.

            "Where would he go?  What do you think he's going to do?" Ron asked, his eyes wide with worry.  They flicked momentarily to the sight of Draco and Ginny on the ground, and it was apparent that he was worried about the role his sister had played in the night's events.  "Do you think he might come after Ginny again?"

            "If not Ginny, then definitely Draco.  He has a fairly large grudge against him," Hermione said, knowingly.

            "I can't believe that this was all about Salazar Slytherin.  We should send some people to investigate the Guatemalan Ministry – to see if there are anymore Dark wizards that we should be worried about there," Ron said.

            "Yeah.  We should do that after we find Neville.  But first things first, we should get Ginny back to England and away from the unicorns so that she can't be used against them anymore," Harry said decisively.

* * * *

            "Easy there, Virginia.  I don't like the looks of that bump on your head," Vincent Malfoy said, as he helped Ginny to her feet, after Draco finally released her.  Ginny stood still for a moment, waiting for the world to stop sitting.  She wanted nothing more than to have a shower and crawl into bed and sleep for a week.  She was exhausted, and her head was absolutely throbbing, and her split lip was stinging.

            She could also do with a good cry, a luxury she hadn't allowed herself since the fateful night she'd thought that Neville Longbottom had died to save her life.

            Shaking off that thought, she surveyed the scene before her and noted how lost the Aurors looked, as they were scouting the area for the missing Dark wizard.  She spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione in a huddle, no doubt plotting a way to find Neville and stop his evil plot together.  She felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, and a pair of soft lips pressing against the back of her neck, and she found herself more than happy to leave the heroics to her older brother and his friends.

            Until a sudden groan filled her ears, and the arm around her waist dropped away.  Ginny turned, and gasped as she saw Draco crumple to the ground, gasping in pain.  She crouched down to him, grasping his hand, searching for the cause of his pain.

            "The…the sanctuary…" he was gasping.  "He's…the unicorns…he's killing them!"

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For all of you demanding fluff, I hope the small dose in this chapter appeases you…please understand that I can't exactly stop in the middle of an action sequence where Neville has Draco cornered to have Draco and Ginny making out…

I don't know when the next chapter is coming, little busy and stuff.  Hope it's soon.


	38. Pulling Rank

Finally, I get a few minutes to post an update, and low and behold,  
harrypotterfanfiction.com is down for upgrades!! Irony? Not so much. For those of you who subscribe to my update list, I've also sent out the chapter to the list (for those of you who WANT to be on my list, the links on my info page, feel free to join)  
  
Thanks for being so patient with the slow updates. The ONLY reason  
I'm not updating is because of lack of access to a computer connected  
to the internet. It's not because I've lost interest in the story,  
or I've run out of ideas or antying -- just lack of access. There is  
an ending in sight, 5ish more chapters, I'd say. I hope to get more  
up shortly.

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**Chapter 38: Pulling Rank**

"How is this affecting Malfoy?" Ron demanded, as he Apparated the point where his little sister and Draco had vanished to, seconds earlier. He was scowling, annoyed that Ginny had left so carelessly the minute she was finaly safe. Harry and Hermione soon followed, a series of pops filled the air as the rest of the contingent followed a minute behind them. Ginny turned from where she was kneeling beside Draco, who had gone extremely white and whose breath was coming out in ragged gaps.

"Because it's his land. He's responsible for the unicorns. It was a loaded agreement that was originally made by our ancestor, so many centuries ago. They offered him shelter, and he was to protect them in return. If that protection ever failed-"

"-There's no time for a bloody history lesson, Vincent," Draco groaned from the ground. He pushed himself up, shrugging away Ginny's outstretched hand ready to help him. He staggered forward, surveying the area. They were about a hundred yards from the centre of the maze. He shuddered in agony - he could feel the burning pain coursing through their bodies. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his rage. If he could ignore the pain and focus on his anger (how dare that bloody would-be Squib even try to hurt something that was his?), he might be able to stop this.

He took a step forward and swore candidly as he felt the pressure of a magical barrier stopping him from moving any further. He looked around wildly, the sounds of the conversations happening all around him were a blur. There was only one thingi n the world right now - the need to get to the center of the maze and kill that bastardonce and for al.

"How did he get through the spells? I thought we recast them!" Hermione wondered out loud, causing a series of theories to be thrown out.

"Something must have caused them to fail, or weaken in some way. A large burst of magic anywhere in the forest cand od that, I suppose," Vincent theorized. Ginny felt her blood freeze at that , remembering the blast of power she'd unleashed when Neville had had his wand pointed straight at Draco, just as he had been about to curse him. She'd used it without even thinking, it had been a reaction. A reaction meant to save Draco. And now it seemed it might be the reason he might die.

She forced herself to look at him, as he stood slightly slumped over, staring through the trees, as if the mere look of absolute hatred he was casting in that direction would be enough to stop Neville. He looked up, meeting her eyes, and she had to turn away as she took in his strained, whie face. A slight trickle of blood had started to drip from his nose.

"We have to take down the spells that are keeping us out. You said a blast of energy might be able to work?" Harry asked, looking at the group. Ron and Hermione nodded, instantly eager to have a plan and a purpose.

"It won't work. At least nothing th three of you could must would work anymore. The power of the unicorns, now that their number has significantly diminished, is a lot weaker. And he's a lot stronger, because he's using their blood to make him so. There would need to be about a hundred of you to have any effect right now," Draco's low voice said, silencing the hastily thought up plan.

"Unless it was from the other side of the barrier," Vincent said. All heads turned in his direction, watching his gray eyes as they were iluminated, making it clear that the wheels in his head were turning. "If you are on his side of the barrier, you wouldn't need as significant an amount of energy."

"Malfoy, you got through the barrier before. Can you do it again?" Ron asked. Draco just shot him a look out of the corner of his eyes, and grunted, before another wave of pain overwhelmed him.

"The last time was different because it was Virginia who was casting the barrier," Vincent explained.

"He needed me to keep all of you out while he did..well, what he's doing now," Ginny said, shuddering against the horror of the thought.

"But why would he need you, Ginny?" Ron asked. Ginny paused for a moment, before she remembered the wand she'd been using while under the effects of the trance, and suddenly, it all became clear.

"Because of Slytherin. He's pledged to serve Salazar Slytherin. He's a servant to him, he's made a pledge to be loyal to him and all, but despite all that, Neville's still a Gryffindor. That's why the wand wouldn't have worked for him. But because I'm connected to Slytherin - because I was technically the last Heir of Slytherin - he needed me there. To oversee it, I guess, because he's not a Slytherin, they can't completely trust him, even though he's pledged to them. I'm higher on the pecking order of it all, I guess you could say I outrank him," she said, the thought clearly disgusting her.

"That's all well and good, Gin, but we need someone to get on the other side of that barrier and take it down," Ron said, his voice strained and awkward-sounding, as it always was whenever someone brought up the events of the Chamber of Secrets.

"Neville's not going to let anyone just stroll in and blast his spell apart. We need someone who has some level of control over him,' Harry said, his eyes flicking momentarily at Ginny, who caught the look and nodded solemnly. Harry had made it clear what she had to do.

"Absolutely not!" Draco roared, so suddenly, with more energy than he'd been able to muster since he'd made the horrible revelation that the unicorns were indeed being attacked, that it startled everyone. They all looked to see him glaring at Ginny, and ignoring everyone else.

"It's the only way, Draco. No one else will be able to get through!" Ginny said softly, desperately trying to summon the strength to look away from the silvery eyes boring into hers. He wouldn't look away and he wasn't lettting her look away either.

"No. We'll find another way. Ginny, you've used enough of that magic tonight, I don't know how much more you have of it! It's so powerful because you've been holding it in all these years, but if it runs out -- you run out. Do you understand, Ginny?" he demanded fiercely.

"Do you want me to just stand here while we hang around like idiots and plot how to fix this? It's the ONLY WAY," she said, an air of finality in her voice. Ron suddenly realized what they were discussing.

"Malfoy's right, Gin. There's absolutely no way we're letting you go in there!" Ron yelled. Ginny sighed in exasperation, and just turned away from them all, silencing the debate, and she began to walk forward, searching for the edge instinctively with her magic. She could sense where it began, and felt it being to push her away, but she pressed on.

A hard, tight grip encircled her hand, and she was swung around fiercely, yanked away from the edge. She glared up at Draco's hard eyes, staring down at her in turn.

"I'm not letting you do this. We'll find another way," he said, his voice hard and cold. And pleading. She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Draco. There is no other way," she said regretfully, giving him a weak smile before she unleashed a burst of power, throwing him backwards as he was caught off guard. Before anyone else could stop her, she turned and ran, straight into the barrier.

**A/N: **Yes, I know, evil place to stop, but I have no more time to type any  
more up! I have another chapter finished, and another almost  
completed, but I have to write it, then write it out by hand and then  
type it up at work (complicated story as to why...), and it's been so  
busy (but all that ends on Monday!!! Yay!)  
  
Anyway, give me a week (maybe two! I'm SO SORRY!), and I'll have  
another (short, again SORRY) chapter to send out!

And once again, thanks to those of you on Harrypotterfanfiction.com who recommended my story, it was so great to see it as the Recommended story of the Month! Also, a special thanks to Mynuet who warned me about the dangers of posting a "Author's Note" only chapter (some stories have been removed because of this, so be careful!), which is why I removed the long explanation about why it's taking me so long to update!

Thanks again! More soon (I hope and will do my best to get it to you!)


	39. Beyond the Barrier

Oh lord, it's been far too long…but here's an update! More to come in the next week or so, I promise! I'm back in a place where I have internet access on a regular basis, and I have free time to write whenever I pretty well want! Enjoy it!

**Chapter 39: Beyond the Barrier **

The force of her forward momentum working against the repelling force of the barrier caused her body to scream in protest as the two powers fought against each other. Pushing the pain aside, she forced her legs to move, slowly, stepping one in front of the other. With each step that she took, she could feel the outward levels of the barrier lessening, weakening to allow her to move even closer to the center. 

As soon as the pressure from the barrier lessened enough, she concentrated on the forces mingling around her - the magic of the barrier, the power of the unicorns - and the distinctly dark force that was slowly seeping outwards, contaminating everything around it. She closed her eyes, feeling the power in the circle, adjusting her senses to it until she finally could sense the magical makeup of the force. She smiled as she realized that, and with a slight exertion of her power, she could feel the barrier begin to pull back, reshaping itself to allow her to pass through without being pushed backwards. 

After the intense pressure has eased away, she opened her eyes and glanced around her - and was struck with the horror of what she was seeing. She was standing in a snow-covered field, eternally dark, the only light was emanating from the cluster of frightened creatures that were cowering together to the far end of the area. The sanctuary - the green, luscious field that represented everything alive and healthy in the world - was gone, replaced by a barren wasteland of snow. The trees were all black and froze, and it was so incredibly cold in there. She watched in numbed horror as her breath created mists of steam in the air. 

Her eyes centered on the man standing in the center of the frozen field, the immobile body of a unicorn sprawled in the snow beside where he was standing. She felt his eyes on her; she could feel the cold hatred piercing through her from his gaze. Inside, she was trembling, but she forced her chin up, and walked forward to face him, wearing all the Gryffindor courage she could muster. 

"Ginny Weasley, the courageous little Gryffindor, proud member of the Weasley clan, the best and youngest diplomat the Ministry of Magic has ever had. All of it seems so perfect - but then no one knows the truth behind it all. That you let me die." 

"But you aren't dead, after all, are you? It was all just one big lie!" she said, her anger that she'd been torturing herself for so long over a complete and utter lie renewing itself as he tried to use it against her. It wasn't going to work. 

"You want to talk to me about lies, little Ginny Weasley? What about this power of yours? You know very well, being the champion of banning all Dark Magic, that the Ministry of Magic has outlawed that type of conjuring, and has declared it a Dark power. And yet, here you are, Ministry official, freely using something that could land you Azkaban!" he fired back. 

"I've learned quite a bit in Bulgaria, Neville - maybe even more than you learned from Lucius Malfoy in Guatemala. And you're the one living the damn lie, Neville! You were our friend - you saw everything that they tried to do to our world! To Harry, Ron and Hermione! To your own parents! And here you are, one of them!" she cried, her voice infused with disgust. 

"You MADE ME this way! All of you! You let me die, and then all of you just left me there!" Neville screamed. "None of you ever saw me as anything but the almost-Squib, the forgettable clumsy Neville who tried to tag along with the rest of the heroes! None of you ever saw me for what I was!" 

"Because you didn't want us to!" Ginny said. As realization struck her and she finally understood, she continued. "Because...you were afraid that if we really saw you, we wouldn't like you, or we wouldn't accept you. So you hid in the background, hoping that if you were with people who were good, then maybe you would be as well. You let them take all the risks, watching from the sidelines, hoping to get a share of the credit when it all ended well!" 

"Shut up!" Neville yelled, shaking his head as Ginny spoke. 

"And you hated them for it! Harry and Ron, and Hermione! People who thought of you as friends, who looked out for you because they considered you a friend - and you HATED them for it the whole time. Waiting for a time that would never come because you were too much of a bloody coward to do anything on your own!" 

"SHUT UP!" he shrieked. Ginny gasped, as the air seemed to grow red, and then much warmer. She could no longer see the frost of her breath in the air. 

"The only thing you ever did on your own, the only risk you ever took was when you saved my life. But you messed that up, didn't you Neville? Because you got hit when it happened. No one could see how brave you were, because you'd been cursed instead." 

And the ungrateful bitch that you are, you didn't tell anyone about it! I saved you bloody life and you left me there to save your own neck, and then you kept it a secret all these years! They all thought that poor clumsy Neville had just tripped and fallen into a curse! You stole that from me!" Neville yelled. 

"But you've been wrong all these years, Neville. You think that everyone saw you as just clumsy Neville Longbottom - but we never did. You were just Neville to us - that's all that mattered. It's all that we wanted you to be!" Ginny said, anxiety filling her as the air grew to a more unbearable temperature. The snow that had covered the ground was rising in pockets of steam as it melted away and evaporated. Ginny felt a trickle of sweat drip down her forehead, as the red light seemed to grow even stronger, and the heat intensified. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the wide, shining eyes of the unicorns catching in the red glow, and deep inside, she could feel their terror, their sorrow at those that had already been lost. She had to keep him distracted, so that they stayed safe. 

"What do you know? You're just little Ginny Weasley, the tag-along little sister who almost gets killed all the time! Where's your big brother and his best friends to save your neck this time, Ginny? Aren't you important enough? Don't they see that you need them, that you've always needed them and they were never there?" Neville said, stepping closer to her, looming over her. His eyes were mirroring the same red glow that was cast over the field. 

"You've haunted me enough, Neville. I won't let you anymore," she said. The great range of emotions that had flooded her since the very beginning of this long, long day began to amass in the center of her body, building into a giant ball of energy. The energy was spooling around her magic, drawing out the lines of emotions - fear, confusion, the few stolen minutes of peace and happiness she'd been able to share with Draco, the hurt, the pain and the utter sadness at how one life had been so distorted, pulling the emotions in, drawing on their energy. The pressure was building, becoming so tight that her hands were shaking with the effort to control the flood of power that was filling her. 

"And what do you think you can do to stop me? I'm Slytherin's apprentice, his chosen one to carry out the most important task that has ever befallen a wizard - to make the potion to bring him back to power. What is little, invisible Ginny Weasley - the girl too afraid to use her powers to save her own life - going to do to stop me?" he sneered, thrusting his wand in her face. 

"Just wait and see," she said, as she closed her eyes, and felt her control shatter - and all the magic she had inside her sprang free. 

"Stop your bloody fidgeting, will you? I'll have nothing to do with you if you go back near that damn barrier and get your hands fried by it - again, Malfoy," Hermione scolded, as she tapped his red and blistering palms with her wand. Draco ignored her, and stared past her, straight into the heart of the forest. The red glow coming from the center of the woods was casting an eerie ambiance over the area where they were all sitting - waiting. He shuttered inwardly as another spasm of pain wracked through his body, but was comforted by the fact that it seemed to have leveled, it was no longer increasing in intensity, which he hoped meant that Neville had stopped injuring his unicorns. 

If he shut out Hermione's annoying nattering and the worried mumbling of Ginny's older brother, he could almost feel her behind the barrier. The forest, his forest, had reacted immediately when she had stepped inside. Some of the poison caused by Longbottom was drawn away, and the life of the forest had grown slightly stronger once again. 

There was cold, and he could see flashes of the sanctuary covered in snow and frozen in the grip of a powerful cold that threatened to kill all the abundance of life that the sanctuary normally held. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the beating of his heart, counting the number of beats in a minute, trying to focus on something other than the throb of pain in his body, and the feeling of dread. 

A few minutes passed in silence, and he could suddenly feel a great burst of heat. The red glow was growing ever stronger, and the flashes of snow that he'd been seeing had melted away. In a strange moment of detached thought, Draco was reminded of his first impressions of Ginny - the Ice Queen whose molten temper was kept carefully buried under thick layers of ice. He'd so often wondered what would happen if she were to ever fully unleash that fire on the world, and even with all her displays of temper and power that he'd seen, he was still certain that he hadn't seen the full force of it. She still held something back, trapped by that icy exterior, even as much as it had melted in recent days. As the emanating heat from the beyond the barrier grew even stronger, Draco stood up, and walked forward, brushing off Hermione's questions. 

There was a pounding in his ears, and it grew stronger the closer her got to the barrier. He turned back to look at the group huddled together, watching helplessly. He met Weasley's eyes; and he wondered if his were as grave and worried. 

"Look at that!" Potter called out, pointing. The dark sky was ripped apart by a bolt of red light shooting through the trees. The brilliant flash of light was almost blinding in its strength, but their eyes eventually adjusted to it, and they were staring at it in wonder. 

"Do you think that's the all clear signal from Ginny?" Hermione asked, hopefully. She was walking cautiously towards the edge of the barrier, her fingers reaching out tentatively. Her own hands were still raw and red from her previous attempts to breach the magical barrier, and she was unwilling to try to touch it again. There was something not quite right about it. 

A sudden flash of intense heat was his only warning. 

"Ginny, no!" he screamed, too late. A giant rumble could be heard in the distance, and the shaft of light erupted into a giant wave of power that burst through the forest, sweeping outwards from its point of origin. Time froze for an instant, when the world seemed perfectly still, before the light surged forward in a red tide of power, and exploded all around them.

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**AN:**For anyone who has been reminding me, kindly of course, that Ginny's full name is NOT Virginia, but is in fact Ginerva – I have been told this quite a few times already. There is a very good explanation for why I've decided to keep her name as I've been writing it, and you can read that in my Live Journal (I gave up on blogging, and jumped on the LJ band wagon!).  
  
And don't forget my update list!


	40. Aftershock

For anyone who was cursing me for leaving a cliffhanger (again)...have I done anything but leave a cliff hanger? I swear I don't do it with the intention of being evil.  
  
**Chapter 30: Aftershock **

Everything from that moment happened so fast, that it always amazed Ron how he could manage to remember it all. The red wave that was sweeping towards them, that threw everyone off their feet and into the air. The painful landing, and the pounding of adrenaline throughout his body as he jumped up, ignoring the protests of his aching muscles. Helping Hermione to her feet, grabbing her hand and running, pulling her behind him, as he raced into the clearing, searching for his little sister. He had to find Ginny, but he couldn't leave Hermione behind while he looked for her. 

The squeeze of Hermione's hand on his as they approached a body lying in the snow, the sound of her breathe hitching in her throat as they looked at one another, then to the still body lying in front of them. The sounds of footsteps and voices all around them as their group tried to figure out where everyone was and what exactly had happened. 

The feel of the snow on his knees as he crouched down, still holding Hermione's hand. The lifeless feel of the arm as he turned it over, wanting to face the truth and see if it really was his baby sister, lying dead in the snow. 

A gasp of relief and an incredible flood of emotion as he observed the cool complexion, and the pale blonde hair that proved that this was anyone other than his sister. Hermione's sob of relief, and the feel of her face pressing against his shoulder, and the softness of her hair as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair s he gasped in relief. 

The sound of Harry's voice, calling from the distance that they had found Ginny, that she was alive. The feel of the cool wind and snow swirling around them as they held on to each other and tried to deal with all the emotions that were sweeping through them. 

It amazed Ron how much of that he could remember - and how it was all something that he could never forget. 

He couldn't sense her - he couldn't tell where she was. All he could feel was swirling amounts of energy, crackling in the air all around him, distorting his vision and his sense of direction. As he blindly ran through the forest, he was stumbling, waving his hands wildly to avoid tree branches, completely unaware of where he was going. He could hear footsteps behind him and voices yelling out in the distance, everyone disoriented and confused, desperately trying to figure out what had happened. 

Something was pulling him in - drawing him towards it. He couldn't stop. 

"Malfoy, where are you going? We have to try to find Neville, catch him if we can!" Potter called out. Draco stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at his former nemesis. 

"Potter, you bloody well go and do whatever it is that's important to you. Catch your bad guy, save the world as always, if that's what matters to you. The enemy will always be there, but _she_ might not be," Draco yelled, before turning and continuing his search for whatever it was that was pulling him. 

It was almost like a magnetic force. A big powerful ball of energy suddenly grown too large, and collapsing in on itself will turn into a giant vacuum, pulling the largest sources of energy and matter towards it - a black hole. With a sinking feeling, as he could feel the remnants of energy around him, he knew with sickening clarity that Ginny was the black hole drawing him in. 

Suddenly, without it even registering with him, he was in the clearing. She was in front of him, lying stretched out in the snow. She was as pale as he'd ever seen her, wrapped in the black cloak she'd been wearing all night. Her fiery hair spread out in the snow, the only sign of warmth and life in the area. He ran forward, crouching in the snow, pulling her body into his arms, cradling her head. 

He grasped her hand, desperate to feel the crackle of electricity that existed between them whenever their hands met. He felt nothing but cold, clammy skin. He looked at Potter, his gray eyes full of fear. 

"Oh no, Ginny," Potter said mournfully, stepping forward. 

"Wake up, Virginia," Draco said softly, trailing a finger down her face. Her eyelashes fluttered momentarily, then lay still. "Ginny, wake up! Come on, you stubborn little Weasley, open your eyes!" 

"Malfoy, just leave her!" Potter cried aggressively, his feelings of protectiveness towards Ginny sparked by Malfoy's tone of voice. The arrogance and condescension that had always marked his tone of voice when speaking to them when they were children was suddenly back. 

"You little Ministry witch, don't forget our little agreement," Draco muttered into her ear, pulling her cold body closer to his. "I asked you to help me protect what is mine, that's what got us into this whole mess. You agreed to that, Virginia. You said you'd help me do that!" 

"Malfoy, just leave her alone! It's over now!" Potter was yelling. 

"Just because YOU are what's mine doesn't mean that the agreement's changed. I wouldn't let Longbottom take you away from me, I won't let this -- because you belong to me. You belong with me," Draco said, as his shaking finger ran along her cheekbone. He held his palm out against hers again, concentrating on his power, hoping it would spark a response from her. 

All of his energy and concentration focused on her hands, on channeling his energy into her, hoping to bring something of her back. There was a distant sound of snow crunching behind him, but he ignored it, unable to tear himself away from the girl lying in the snow. 

He felt a warm blast of steamy breath against his neck, startling him away from his focus. Shaken, he looked up, and was nearly blinded by the silvery, shimmering light standing before him. Realizing what was happening, he solemnly nodded, and eased Ginny back down onto the ground, and moved away, hoping that this was for the best. 

The unicorn was standing over her, as if studying the human in front of her. Draco recognized, with a tug at his heart, that this was the eldest female unicorn in the herd. The eldest male was lying a few feet away in the snow, the first and only victim of Longbottom's attempt at a slaughter. The lessons that Draco had learned while growing up, about the unicorns, had taught him that they choose only one mate for their entire life, and remain so devoted to their chosen one, that life without the other is barely worth living. 

She turned back to look at him, and the look in her eyes reflected such sadness and pain that Draco gasped. She dipped her head, gently muzzling Ginny's neck. Shaking out her silvery man with a delicate snort, she softly touched the tip of her silvery horn to Ginny's hand. 

A wave of light filled the area, blinding Draco as he fell backwards from the force of it. In the back of his mind, he could hear Potter's cry of "Bloody hell, not again!" as he thought it was yet another blast of power. But the feeling from this one was completely different. There was power behind it - obvious by the force throwing him to the ground. He opened his eyes, and nearly yelped with the intense pain throbbing in his head from brilliant white light all around them. But there was warmth and ease, nothing destructive about it. They were bathed in the light, and there was a revitalizing energy in it. He could feel his skin tingling from it, and though blinded, he knew deep down that when his was over, he'd open his eyes and see Ginny standing before him. 

He could feel the harsh light recede, and when he cautiously opened his eyes, he discovered that he'd been right. Ginny was standing in front of him, a look of confusion and utter exhaustion on her face. He picked himself up off the ground, noticing distantly that it was no longer covered in snow, but had returned to the lush green grass that had always existed within the bounds f the sanctuary. He could hear Potter calling out in the background, that she was alright, but at that moment, he only cared about one thing. 

He walked towards her, and reached out and grabbed her hand. A slight tingle swept over the skin of his palm when their hands made contact, and he felt a crashing wave of relief sweep through his body. Her brown eyes looked up at him; they were clouded by sadness and a sense of helplessness. Looking down on the small woman, Draco thought that he'd never seen her look so defeated and like a lost little child before. 

"Neville?" she asked, her voice low and hoarse. 

"Gone. We don't know where, but he's not here anymore." She nodded solemnly, and looked around her, her shimmering eyes taking in the sight of the revitalized clearing. 

"The unicorns?" 

"Safe and protected. Nothing is going to come near them again," he said, pulling her close to him, so he could wrap his arms around her and hold her, feeling the rhythm of her breathing. 

"was it worth is?" she murmured, as she wearily rested her hand against his chest, relying on his support to remain standing. 

"You are," he murmured back, as he tightened his hold on her, not quite sure if he'd ever be ready to let her go. Far too many close calls that night. 

"Is everyone safe?" she asked, barely audible as she buried her face against his chest. 

"As far as I know," he answered gently. 

"Ginny! Are you all right? What the hell were you thinking, running in there like that! Just wait until I tell Mum about all this!" Ron cried as he arrived, with Hermione in tow, on the scene. 

"Ron, give her a few moments, you idiot, before you start with your ranting and raving. She's all right, that's what matters most right now," Hermione scolded. 

"Where's Neville? Did he get away? How did he get away?" Ron questioned Harry, rapidly. 

"We're not sure where he is -- there was no sign of him when we got here." 

"Is everyone accounted for?" Harry asked them. There was a pause, and a stricken look passed between his two oldest friends. 

"We lost one person, Harry," Ron said, looking away. Draco's head snapped up, and he could feel Ginny's body stiffen at those words. Harry looked shaken, obviously not expecting that to be the answer. 

"Where's Gabrielle?" he demanded, a hint of desperation in his voice. 

"She's coming, with Darien," Hermione said, turning to the path they'd come down. A horror-filled silence fell over the group, as they watched Darien walk towards them, with Gabrielle trailing along behind him. He was carrying a lifeless body in his arms. 

"Danika," Draco breathed, is disbelief. Ginny pulled away from him, and turned to look at the lifeless body dangling in Darien's arms. Darien's cold gray eyes met hers and she flinched. 

"She's dead. Killed by the power burst," he said, his tone terse and clipped. A collective gasp seemed to sweep over the group. 

"Oh Ginny, what have you done?" Harry asked, turning to her. Looking at everyone who was staring at her, her eyes wide and panicked, no one seemed to notice how shaky she was or how white her face was. As Darien came closer, the tall Malfoy who had been an adversary to her since she'd met him, carrying the body of a young woman who'd she'd probably killed with her power, no one seemed to care that she was struggling to say on her feet. 

"Ginny, you couldn't have known...this had nothing to do with you. No one holds you responsible for this," Hermione said softly. Despite Hermione's words, as Ginny's knees gave out, only Draco lunged forward to catch her before she hit the ground. 

**Author's Note: **

For all those worried that I would kill of Ginny...You can't have a happy ending if you kill off the main character! It's just going to take a bit longer to get there, that's all.  
  
**ScarletAngel88:** Slytherin is dead, the plan was to bring him back to life (as You-Know-Who has sailed that ship already...), which causes the plot against the unicorns, etc. As for you question about Ron/Hermione...evil grin you'll just have to wait and see...  
  
And thanks for all those who've stuck around after that terrible summer where I only updated once...I'm sorry about that, but it's good to be back and still have people read my story despite the fact that it's taken me so long to get back to writing it.


	41. Weighing the Costs

And I'm back again!

Couple of notes: 1. Voldemort, in my little VI universe, is dead and gone, no hope of coming back to life. It's Slytherin who was the potential-to-rise-again bad guy. 2. It wasn't Gabrielle that died, it was Danika, Draco's cousin.

* * *

**Chapter 41: Weighing the Cost **

After all the commotion, it was hours before there was any time to gather one's thoughts and work through the emotional events of the evening. There were Healers to be summoned, Ministry officials to brief, and Aurors to set on guard around the Ministry network -- all on the look out for a wizard who was long-thought to be dead. When all the work was finally done and the weary were finally allowed to rest, his first thought was simply to find her. 

It took a bit of doing to finally track her down, but he finally found her standing in the ruins of her father's former study. She was looking around it, wide-eyed in the dark, the picture of a lost little child, surrounded by charred and broken debris. Upon hearing his footsteps, she turned to meet him, her eyes shining with tears and a hopeless look of anguish upon her face. 

"Harry, after everything that I've lost in the past 24 hours, I really don't want to do this right now. I couldn't stand losing you, too," she said, her voice shaking moderately, but it didn't crack as she was terrified that it might. She was trying hard not to break down. She'd been standing in the broken room -- on that, granted, she had never enjoyed as it normally accompanied her father's lectures about Guatemala -- but nevertheless, it was a place of comfort that was now shattered. Just like her family. These thoughts had been plaguing her as she stood in the dark, feeling utterly alone. 

"Gabrielle, what are you talking about?" Harry asked wearily, as he stepped forward and gathering his fiancée into his arms, resting his head on her shoulder with a sigh of exhaustion. 

"Now you know what my family is. What happens in this house. That...that I've been lying to you about it all," she stammered, unable to believe that Harry was holding her, instead of scorning her like she had so expected. 

"Gabrielle..." Harry sighed. 

"I didn't want to lie to you! I didn't think you'd accept me if you knew that my family was a bunch of Dark wizards, and with you being an Auror and the Ministry about to pass the new Act on Dark magic that would make my family a bunch of criminals in your eyes, I didn't know what to do! All that we wanted was for her to stop with the Act!" she cried out, as quickly as possible. Harry pulled back and stared, unblinking, into the red and tear-streaked face of Gabrielle. 

"Gabrielle," he tried again to interrupt. 

"I didn't know that any of this was happening, or what she was able to do! When the attacks on the unicorns started, it didn't matter any more if the Act wasn't signed for my family's benefit -- all that mattered was that we still be able to perform the right spells to keep them safe! Then the night came when we knew that we wouldn't be able to stop them anymore, and we didn't know what we were going to do! They stopped almost immediately as soon as she used her magic to strengthen the spells! It seemed like everything was all over! No more lying, no more scheming, no more acting like a typical Malfoy in order to keep you in the dark about what my family is!" she wailed. 

"Gabby, my family is a bunch of horrible Muggles who hate magic and would be much happier if I never existed. It doesn't matter -- it never mattered. I've known all along that you were a Malfoy, and the Ministry has always been rather aware of what they've been up to, most of which we could never actually prove, mind you. It doesn't matter," he said soothingly. 

"You've known? This whole time, you've known?" 

"It's how we met, Gabrielle. The night we met in Hogsmeade, when Malfoy and I had that...um, well, fight, it was because he wouldn't come right out and tell me the whole truth. We were trading information -- he was telling me about the state of the unicorns (we need to make sure they were safe, after all), and I was updating him on the progress that Ginny was making getting new countries to support her new Act. I've known all along what's been going on, and it never mattered," he answered. She stared back at him, shocked. 

"It never mattered?" she asked distantly. Suddenly, her face seemed to perk up and she blinked in realization. "This entire time, I've been making myself SICK over how to tell you about what to do if she passed that stupid Act! To the point where I got Draco to help me try to throw her off and distract her so that she wouldn't be able to get it through to the Bulgarian Minister! And you knew! Why didn't you tell me?" 

"Why didn't you just tell me? I figured if you weren't going to bring it up...girls can be a bit touchy about that kind of thing, I really wasn't looking forward to there being a scene, you know," Harry said, slightly sheepishly under her sudden anger. 

"Harry Potter, we need to make sure that we don't keep silly secrets from each other any more." 

"Sounds like a deal to me, Gabby."

* * *

She had slowly drifted awake, leaving the blissful darkness that had been her reality. Blinking painfully in the dim light, she tried to move, tried to see where she was and what had happened. She tried to speak, but found that her voice was hoarse and it was difficult to form any words. Her body felt heavy, and her eyes burned with the need for more sleep. 

"Ginny, you're awake!" Hermione's voice, thankfully hushed, filled the room. Ginny turned her head, and was surprised to see herself in the bedroom she'd been staying in at the Malfoy house. She could see Hermione and Ron hovering near the bed, as if they'd been standing vigil together for a long time. She fought against the exhaustion plaguing her body, and sat up. 

"How long have I been asleep?" she croaked out, scanning the room, searching for a gray pair of eyes that sometimes shined silver in the right type of lighting. 

"Four days, Ginny. We were starting to get worried, but the MediWizards assured us that you were just sleeping off the effect of over-exerting your power. I'm glad you're awake!" Hermione answered, sitting down on the bed next to her. 

"Four days," Ginny groaned, as her head began to spin from the effort it took her to sit up. 

"we've been going crazy, waiting for you to wake up. It's all that Harry could do to keep the Ministry officials away from you this long. They're dying to question you, about what happened that night. Malfoy has been roaring at them all afternoon, every time they take a step down this corridor. That alone should have been enough to wake up, the bloody inconsiderate git," Ron explained, mumbling the last comment more to himself than anyone else. 

"Why do they need to talk to me?" Ginny asked, squinting as she tried to make out the facial expressions of her brother and his friend in the dim light of the room. 

"They're just wondering about Neville disappearing...with the magic blast and all, the don't rightly know how he could disappear like that. They're just hoping you might remember anything that could help them find him," Hermione explained, her voice gentle and cautious. It was obvious that she was hiding something from her. Ginny was silent for a moment, as she thought back to the night in question. 

"No...he was standing in front of me, and I...created the blast...and then everything went black, until Draco woke me up afterwards. I didn't see him leave," Ginny said, her voice shaky and hoarse. She caught a veiled look pass between Hermione and Ron. "What is it that you two aren't telling me?" 

"Ginny! We're not keeping anything from you!" Ron squeaked, his voice high-pitched as he attempted to feign insult. Ginny narrowed her eyes and glared at her brother, giving him the full effects of her icy look. He began to squirm. Hermione watched her friend as his sister glared at him, and knew that he was going to break soon. 

"Oh for heaven's sake, Ron. Ginny, they need to know if Neville is still alive, and they think that you're the only one who would know it. If you tell them that Neville got away before it went off, then they'll keep searching for him. But if you think that...he didn't get away, then...they can call off the search," Hermione said, her voice faltering at the end. Ginny felt her blood run cold as she remembered the horrifying moments before she'd fainted that night. 

"You mean, they think I killed him, just like I killed Danika," Ginny said, her voice soft. 

"Oh Ginny, there was no way for you to know that she was still in the area, or even that your magic could be that powerful!" Hermione said, trying to be comforting. 

"I lost control, and I didn't think of the consequences. Don't try to explain away a life, Hermione," Ginny snapped, her voice cold. 

"She's not trying to --" Ron tried to interject. 

"Would you guys mind? I would really like to be alone right now. I think I need to get some more sleep, I'm still really tired," Ginny cut him off, stone-faced and cold. They stared back at her, in surprise, before standing up and exiting without a word. 

She managed to keep her expression blank until she heard the door click shut behind them. As soon as she knew that she was alone, she sank back down into the pillows, and curled herself up into a tiny ball, squeezing her eyes shut. Trying as hard as she could to block out the sight of Darien carrying his younger sister's lifeless body towards them.

* * *

The next time she woke up, the room was very dark and silent. The heavy shroud of exhaustion that had made every movement so difficult the last time she was awake seemed to have mostly dissipated. She was still weak, but she was more alert than before. 

She sat up in the bed, her mouth incredibly dry. She needed water. She reached around in the dark, hoping to find her wand so she could get some light in the room. After searching the surface of the nightstand next to the bed, she gave up looking for it. Closing her eyes, as the weight of guilt seemed to increase, she concentrated on her magic, and the lamp atop the table flickered softly, creating a dim light in the room. 

A small rustling sound startled her, and she jumped. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the light. She saw the slight light from the lamp reflecting on the round lenses of Harry's glasses. 

"Your turn to sit and watch me, Harry? To make sure that I'm not going to do anything crazy?" Ginny said waspishly. 

"Just thought you might want a friend to be around when you woke up. I know every time I woke up in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, especially after the TriWizard tournament, it was always easier to face the world again if there was a friend sitting nearby," Harry said, simply. Ginny stared at him for a long moment, unable to avoid the startling parallel he'd made; he was comparing his experiences to hers. Didn't he know any better? He'd never killed anyone -- with one notable exception, and then only because he'd been left with no other choice. It was Voldemort, after all, and everyone was very pleased with that. But she'd lost control, and Draco's coursing was now dead. 

"Harry, things for me are slightly different. Of course you had your friends around, you were a hero waking up after wining. After what I did...you could hardly make any comparison," she said, looking away from him. 

"That was not your doing, Ginny," Harry said, taking pains to make his voice clear. His green eyes glittered at her in the dim light as he stared at her, determined make his point. 

"Then why did you all blame me?" she asked softly. Harry sighed. 

"Gin...what I said...it...the reason I said it--" 

"It's alright, Harry. You were just echoing what everyone else was thinking. 'What have you done?' I think I would be wondering the same thing...except our roles would never be reversed, Harry. You're the hero, here. I just cost people their lives," Ginny sighed bitterly, looking away. 

"I never felt like one -- except after the Chamber of Secrets, and I had Ron to share that with. It was the first -- and only time -- that I felt like I'd saved someone. It seemed like I ended every school year in the hospital wing. My fourth year was the hardest. Everyone wanted to know what happened, and they all stared at me like I was about to go mad and murder the whole school. It was very lonely," Harry said, his bright eyes seeming to stare straight through her, even as she was turned away from them. 

"I guess I know what you mean," she mumbled. Silence fell over the two for a long time, before Ginny felt the need to speak. "How have you done it all these years, Harry?" 

"Done what?" 

"Weighed the costs. You've done great things, you've saved our world a few times. The first time, you were a baby and the cost was your parents. You saved me, and the whole school from shutting down, but the Basilisk nearly killed you. You defeated You-Know-Who for the last time, and it was Neville that died...all these great things, but there has always been a sacrifice along with the good. How do you justify that? Being the hero, when the costs are eating you up inside?" she asked, her voice breaking at the end. Her eyes were burning, she had to look away from him. 

"You can't justify it. It never gets easier to take," Harry answered, his voice heavy with emotion. Ginny looked up at him. There was an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm sorry I stopped going to visit Neville's grave with you, Ginny. It just got too hard." 

"I thought you forgot." 

"You never forget. As you said, it eats you up inside." 

"I know. That's why I had to go every year." 

"I understand what you must be feeling right now. Cedric -- god, Sirius -- would still have been alive today if it weren't for mistakes that I made. That's why I said what I said...because I know what it's going to be like for you from now on. The feeling that you're going to have to live with for the rest of your life...I never wanted anyone, especially you, to have to feel that way," Harry said, his voice heavy and tired. Ginny looked up at him with wide eyes that reflected something that made her seem old and empty. Harry sighed at the sight, overwhelmed with sadness that someone so bright and lively would have to face it. He gave her a small smile, before standing to exit the room. As he opened the door, he paused and turned back to Ginny. 

"We should have been there with you. We shouldn't have left you behind that night." 

"I should have stayed behind. I should have made myself part of it. The same way Neville should have," Ginny said softly, before looking away again. Harry exited her bedroom in silence.

* * *

Draco closed his eyes and he felt his body begin to relax. The soft breeze was drifting through the trees, and the soft and comforting sound of the unicorns - his unicorns - joined with the sound of the forest. The iridescent light of the forest was back, fueled by the magic of the silvery creatures that were now finally safe. The peace had returned; the beauty was reinstated and it was once again a sanctuary. 

He was about to sit down under the oak tree near the pond, where he could watch the moon shine off the waters as the herd lay around the edge, sleeping. There was an air of sadness about them now, as two of their numbers had left them forever, but it wasn't sorrow that clung to them. Just a simple sadness that would eventually drift away. Unicorns couldn't remember sorrow for very long; they were creatures of the light and it would help to renew them. 

He could feel her as soon as she stepped across the tree line into the clearing. The forest knew here now, it welcomed her presence gratefully, remembering how she had drawn out the poison that Longbottom had infected it with. The unicorns stirred as she drew near, but after recognizing her, they simply returned to their peaceful sleep. He turned to look at her, surprised to know that she was awake. 

"You should be sleeping, Virginia," he said, as she walked forward almost blindly. He walked to intercept her, concerned by her stoicism. She ignored his comment, stopping in her tracks as she stared up at him. Her pale face was marred by bruises earned during her flight from Neville, but it wasn't that which caught his attention. Her brown eyes were starring at him, the expression on her face mirroring confusion and sorrow. 

Her eyes were shining, brimming with years worth of unshed tears. He walked forward until he was right in front of her. Reaching out, he cupped her face with his hands, gentling raising it to look up at him. 

"Ginny, everything is alright now," he whispered. Her lower lip trembled, and her liquid brown eyes were pleading with him. "It's okay." 

She moved away as the tears overflowed. She backed away from him, until her strength gave way, her face crumbled and the first sob escaped her lips. She reached out to hum, touching his fingers. Draco was unsure of what to do - he'd never seen her break down before. She'd even said that night at the graveyard that she didn't cry, and had proved it by remaining dry-eyed as she'd told him the story of the night that haunted her. 

Once the first sob came out, the rest followed as if a dam has been broken. She doubled over, blindly reaching out with her hands as she sank down to the ground. Instinctively, Draco knelt down beside her, and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and stroke her hair as she cried six years worth of tears.

* * *

**A/N**More to come in a week or so! By the way, I FINALLY saw the third movie. My reactions to it are posted in my live journal ).  
As always, thanks to my lovely faithful reviewers, especially those who didn't give up on me while I was away for so long and went four months on only one update. 


	42. Prodding a Sleeping Dragon

**Chapter 42: Prodding a Sleeping Dragon**

* * *

Draco awoke the next morning, to see her brown eyes, still showing the evidence of last night's breakdown by their red tinge and the way that they were swollen, staring at him with a serious look reflected in them. He sighed, and braced himself for the question that he knew was going to come. It was only a matter of time before she would need to ask it.

"I have to ask you something, and I know that you may not want to answer it, but I have to know," she said, her voice soft and quiet. He looked down at her, sitting in the sunlight on the grass in front of him, the wind softly blowing her loose hair about and thought about how much she had been changed in a relatively short amount of time. At the beginning, he'd been curious about her – the façade she maintained, the fiery spirit she kept buried underneath all that ice and her shrewd abilities as a diplomat. How he had wanted to see a crack in that mask; and now it was completely demolished, and she was sitting in front of him, trusting and vulnerable, and he wasn't certain that he was prepared for it.

"What is it?" he asked, bracing for the question that he knew would threaten the fragile relationship they'd developed.

"Why does Darien have the Dark Mark?" she asked, with the air of someone who had been deep in thought, and had been wondering this for a while. "I could tell when he first arrived that there was something off about him, and the night of your uncle's party, I found out about it. But after that night with Neville, and I discovered that it was Danika who was helping him…"

"My family isn't all evil, little Weasley. It's easier to believe that, especially for a Ministry witch like you, but the evil ones are just a few bad apples," Draco said with a slight smirk, as relief flooded through him as the question wasn't the one that he had expected. "Danika, when she was really young, somehow found her way into a group of Death Eaters. No one knows for sure if they found her, or if she went looking for them, but when Darien found out what she was up to, he wanted to get her away from them as quickly as possible. He did it to save her life."

"They were going to kill her? Even as young as she was?" Ginny asked, horrified.

"She lied about her name. She made up some other last name to hide the fact that she was a Malfoy, because then they would have asked my father about her, and then Vincent would have found out. When they knew that she'd lied, they thought that she was a spy…They were rather angry with all Malfoys in general – my father excluded. Vincent wouldn't participate in any of their schemes and I…well, I decided to 'study abroad' for a few years, instead of joining them."

"How did Darien's joining them save her then?"

"One of his friends from Durmstrang found out that his little sister was about to branded a traitor, and told him. Darien went straight to their leader, and joined. A Malfoy heir, joining them against his father's wishes, couldn't be passed up and he was immediately admitted into the inner circle. Then he was able to edge Danika out, make it so that she was no longer involved in any of their plans, and refused to approve her taking the Dark Mark. He did and saw a lot of horrible things during that time, but it was the only way to keep her out of harms way," Draco explained.

"She didn't want to be saved, did she? She wanted to be a part of them."

"Yes. My father had a lot of influence over her. She always saw him the way that I did when I was young – the tall, powerful wizard fighting against inferior wizards in a way to make our world much better, free of Muggles. He always seemed so powerful; it took a lot for me to see through it all, and I was his son. I saw him on a daily basis. Danika only saw him rarely, and then only at his best, and I guess when she compared him to her own father – the academic, Lucius won out."

"But Darien didn't want to have anything to do with the Death Eaters and…You-Know-Who? He only joined to edge Danika out?"

"There were other advantages with having him on the inside. That's how I found out about my father's betrayal, that he had told Voldemort's supporters about the sanctuary and he was going to let them destroy it. As he was Vincent's older brother, the land was rightfully his, and our protection would fail without his support. He gave me the information I needed to make sure that never happened, along with other things…who the major players were, what their movements were going to be. But he didn't do it out of any desire to rid the world of Muggles, or to gain any power," Draco explained, avoiding meeting her eyes as he mentioned his father's involvement. Ginny sighed, as she absorbed all of the information Draco had just given her.

"Years after his death, and he still haunts our lives," Ginny whispered, with a shiver.

"Well, he was the most powerful Dark wizard in our world since Grindelwald."

"I was talking about your father."

"Oh. I see."

"I keep thinking about Neville, and wondering if he was always so…corrupted and evil, but when I think back, all I can remember is the shy, sweet little kid who took me to the Yule Ball so I wouldn't have to miss it because I was only in Third Year. He wasn't evil; he was twisted into what he became by someone like your father…who saw his weakness and used it. The promise of power, of greatness, must have been too strong for him to resist. It's all he ever wanted, and couldn't get unless it was with Dark Magic. Shades of gray, or not, Malfoy, it hurts people," Ginny said bitterly.

"It all depends on the purpose. If you intend to do harm, then it will hurt people. But if it's to save someone, or to make something better, than it is the right thing to do. You're thinking about Danika," Draco said flatly, staring down at her troubled eyes. She nodded.

"I can't get her out of my mind…the way she looked when he carried her towards the rest of us…" she cut herself off with a shudder.

"Darien stopped her that night, before she killed one of the unicorns. Because she was his sister, he let her go with the promise that she would never come near them again. As soon as he was distracted by something else, she crept back into the forest, intending to finish what she started. She was going to hurt them, and she would have hurt you if she had the chance. She is the person who told Neville about your powers, told him that you were there, and helped him plan the ways to get you under their spell to do what they wanted you to as soon as she knew what you were capable of. Darien gave her the chance to redeem herself, and she didn't take it. She got what was coming to her," Draco said solemnly. Ginny gasped in horror.

"How can you be so calm and cold about your own family?" she asked, disgusted. "Whatever she may have done did not justify her death!"

"What greater crime is there than to betray your family?" Draco asked, his tone cold. Ginny jerked her hand, which had been resting in his since she'd awakened, away from his as if she'd been burned and jumped to her feet.

"You killed your own father, didn't you?" she asked, half in shock and half horrified. He'd mentioned that he'd 'stopped' him before he could do any harm to the unicorns, but she never believed that he would have been capable of _that._ Draco didn't answer, he just stared at her calmly with veiled eyes that betrayed nothing. "You found out about what he was up to and you killed him!"

"I had a greater duty to fulfill that superceded my duty as a son. Would it have been better to let him destroy them?" he asked. Ginny turned away from him, unable to comprehend what he was saying and how calm he was about it. He hesitated for a moment, until he couldn't stand the way she was looking at him any longer. "No, I didn't kill him. But if I had been given the chance, I would have."

"But you made sure that someone else had the opportunity to do it for you, through your connection to the Death Eaters," she said, finally beginning to understand the way that his Slytherin mind worked. He nodded slightly, and he looked away from her. She shook her head, trying to absorb what she had been learning about him.

Shades of gray…Nothing was black and white to her, not anymore. She'd seen too much, she'd learned far too much. But to live in his world of perpetual gray areas, where nothing was absolute, nothing completely defined…The way that he saw the world was without lines that couldn't be crossed. He'd refused to join Voldemort's cause; yet he didn't hesitate to use his followers to his own purposes. He wasn't evil, but he didn't shy away from evil acts. A thought struck her mind, and she froze. She turned back to him, and saw that he was standing now.

"You found out what he was up to…Darien had inside information about what they were doing, and who the major players were. Did he have this kind of information even after Voldemort was defeated?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Yes. The plan to kill the unicorns wasn't thought of until after their leader was killed – and they wanted to bring him, or another equally powerful wizard, back into our world," he answered, cautiously.

"You knew what he was up to…you knew who the major players were…Did you know that Neville was still alive?" she asked, her face reflecting so much pain that he found it difficult to look at her. She watched his face desperately, searching for denial, for outrage for daring to suggest such a thing, anything that would dispel her suspicions. And she saw nothing but a cold, blank expression. An expression that she recognized from the faces of the many politicians who had tried to deny one of her accusations, the look of someone who didn't want to betray anything when they knew they were caught in a trap.

He looked away from her, and she was shaken so much that she sat down on the ground. It took everything out of her – any fight, energy or even anger that she had was all gone, leaving her empty and cold.

"You knew what his death meant for me, and you didn't tell me that you knew he was alive?" she whispered hoarsely, her eyes burning painfully as she fiercely blinked back tears.

"When you aren't sure who you can trust, don't trust anyone." Ginny flinched as he said that as though she'd been slapped.

"Does your humanity ever interfere with being a rotten, scheming Slytherin?" she gasped.

"I had to consider a lot of different things. I didn't know if I could trust you. Your whole goal when you came here was to convince me to help you pass a law that would have destroyed everything! You were an adversary, Ginny, there were certain things I couldn't tell you!" he explained, trying to reason her. There was a slightly hysterical look in her eyes that was concerning him. She stared at him with a horrified look, mingled with confusion, on her face, as she stood up and began to back away from him.

"You certainly got everything you wanted, didn't you?" she asked coldly.

"Ginny, please understand," he tried to say, but she cut him off.

"I was wrong this whole bloody time…I'm the one that couldn't see. I've been blind to what you truly are," she cried, as her tears spilled over. As her sharp tone echoed in the silence, Draco flinched as she turned and ran away.

* * *

"Ginny, where have you been? I've been really worried about you, disappearing in the middle of the night with everything as it is! They still haven't found Neville yet, you know!" Ron cried, as he saw his red-faced sister storming up the hallway. He did a double-take as he noticed two very important details: she was dressed, as he was accustomed to seeing her, in one of her favorite black business suits, and that her eyes were red-rimmed and tear-streaked, something he hadn't seen on his sister in almost a decade.

"I'm leaving, Ron. I have very important work to get back to at the Ministry," she said, dismissing him over her shoulder as she continued down the hall, with a barely a second glance at him.

"Oh bloody hell, she's back," Ron muttered angrily under his breath. "Oi, Ginny! Hold on a minute!"

"I'm really pressed for time. I need to get back to London; I've a pile of post to catch up on, and a few meetings scheduled. You know, the deadline for the International Cooperation Act for the Removal of All Dark Arts is fast approaching, and I still have a few countries to get on side," she said impatiently.

"You're just going to leave? Like this?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"What else is there to do here? The sanctuary is quite safe now, the enemies aren't attacking anymore, I would have thought that an Auror like you would at least be able to figure out that your work here is done," she said, her tone gaining the edge that she generally reserved for 'politely' warning her political adversaries to back off.

"But…well, what about Malfoy? Are you just going to leave him? And what about all those changes you were going to make to the Act, for Bulgaria's sake?" he asked, following her down the hall.

"What about Malfoy? You, of ALL people, should be more than pleased that I'm leaving him behind. I have important work to get back to, Ron. Look at what happened here! The international wizarding community needs to come together so that things like this can never happen again!" Ginny said passionately, her voice breaking slightly. Ron stepped away from her, as if afraid that he would be scorched by the fire in her words. She glared at him, before she continued down the hallway, her heels clicking authoritatively on the polished floor.

"Ginny! Bloody hell, Malfoy, what the hell did you say to her?" Ron cried, spotting the blond Malfoy standing in the foyer, as if to see his guest out. His icy stare was enough to freeze a fire, but it wasn't enough to stop the youngest Weasley when she had a mission.

"Excuse, Malfoy, but I'd like to be going now," she said, barely meeting his eyes, as her voice took on her long-practiced, neutral tone.

"Don't go like this, Ginny," he said quietly, dangerously. His face was dark and there was a lot of anger in it, Ron could tell. He caught up to his sister, and stood behind her, arms crossed, hoping to seem protective. There was far more hostility in the air between the two than when there'd been back in Hogwarts, when she'd hit him with that glorious Bat-Bogey Hex.

"I'm actually rather eager to get away from this place, Malfoy. London is awaiting me, I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to get the new Cooperation Act ready to be made into Wizarding law in time," she said with a wry smile.

"I hoped this trip helped you to consider the special case that exists in Bulgaria," he said, echoing her cold, yet courteous tone.

"Actually, quite the contrary, Mr. Malfoy. I'm more convinced now more than ever, of the need for this kind of pact to be made by the entire international community. Dark magic is something that needs to get stopped, completely and without exception. It causes harm, no matter the intent," she said, her words curt and clipped with a hidden anger.

"That is most unfortunate. Of course, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that it fails, unless those special considerations are made in Bulgaria's case."

"I'm afraid that this will not be possible. You almost had me, but then I opened my eyes," she said pointedly. Ron watched with a strange fascination as his sister and former nemesis, who, not a day before, had been very familiar with each other, suddenly reverted to the formalities that he was used to seeing Ginny use on a rival politician.

"I hope you understand that I will be doing everything in my power to make sure that this does not pass, the way that is it written. I'll come at you with everything I've got," he said, his voice containing a lot of threat, and a little tinge of regret.

"I welcome it, Malfoy. The world will see reason – Dark magic is dangerous, it hurts people and it need to be stopped," she said, before she walked out the door.

"Bugger, Malfoy! What the hell did you do to set her off like that? I thought she had finally gotten her head out of her arse about all this Ministry business, and suddenly she's back at it! What the hell happened?" Ron demanded. Malfoy groaned, as he pressed his head against the door she'd just walked out of.

"I've prodded a big, scary sleeping dragon, that's what I've done," he groaned.

* * *

AN: Don't hate me yet. There's still more to come.


	43. Once Bitten

**Chapter 43: Once Bitten…**

* * *

"What do you mean, cancelled?" Ginny demanded shrilly, as she walked briskly down the hall of the Ministry building, Clarice following behind her, carrying Ginny's scheduling book with her as she struggled to keep up with the irate diplomat.

"We received three owls this morning; all of your appointments for this morning have been cancelled," Clarice explained. The younger woman stopped abruptly, swinging around to look at her assistant. Clarice, startled by the sudden stop, took a second to observe the unusual changes in her boss.

She had appeared, six days ago, and had furiously gone to work. The message she had sent Fudge from Bulgaria had been retrieved and shredded, and all of the consuls from the 8 countries that they'd secured support from had been contacted to ensure their signature. As soon as that had been done, she'd gone to work on the remaining 7 countries still to agree. And now, with 24 hours left before the deadline, only three remained – Bulgaria, France and Russia.

Throughout the whole time, Clarice had noted that this was a different Ginny than the one she'd been working with for years. Instead of the rushing about, arriving late to the office, completely uncollected and unprepared, she'd been early and immaculately dressed, ready for the day. All business, all diplomat, all the time. Now, as the news that her hard work might be for nothing, she could see a desperation in her eyes that worried Clarice – a politician should never show emotion when facing a severe deadline.

"But the consuls from France and Russia were supposed to meet with me! This was my last chance to get their agreement! Did they reschedule?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide with anger.

"France sent their regrets that they would unable to reschedule until after the New Year. Russia felt the same way; didn't want to conduct any business on New Year's Eve," Clarice stated.

"It's not that important of a holiday!" Ginny cried, before she began stalking off again.

"You would say that, considering that you didn't even see your family over Christmas," Clarice mumbled, half-hoping that she wouldn't hear her.

"Why would they spontaneously refuse to meet me? There has to be some reason, I HAD them, I know I did! All that was left was their actual signatures!" Ginny cried, aggravated and desperately worried. She had to get this done today. Ginny took off down the hall again; storming rather impressively given the black heels she was wearing, before she stopped dead. She turned around to face her assistant again, and there was a look of cold fury in her eyes.

"Malfoy…" she pronounced icily.

* * *

Draco observed his guests with a grim satisfaction. Any triumph he felt – at having been able to thwart Ginny's meetings and arrange his own – was put at bay, the knowledge that she'd soon be there. She was too quick to not be able to figure out why her appointments had cancelled, and she had enough of a contact base to find out where the meetings. It was only a matter of time before she appeared, outraged yet completely unwilling to show it.

"But I have spoken with Judge Strum, who met this young lady at your own house, Mr. Malfoy, and he seemed to think that she was the right person to negotiate with," Jean Black, the French consul, said, deep in thought. Draco watched his very-distant cousin for a moment, sensing that the man was wavering slightly on his decision to meet with him over Virginia Weasley, and knew he had to react quickly.

"The reason he said that was because the little vixen had the poor man wrapped around her little finger. He would have happily pranced around, dressed as a House Elf, if she'd asked. She's a charming little devil," Draco said, a specific glint in his eyes that had the other two men roaring with laughter.

"Devil or no, she is still the witch responsible for the creation of this Act, and I believe she even authored it herself? Fairly ambitious for one so young," the Russian consul said, Draco straining to understand through the man's thick accent.

"Very ambitious. Gentlemen, I've already expressed Bulgaria's position on the matter – as this law is written, it is not in the best interest of my country. The English Ministry hasn't taken into consideration certain differences between our cultures when they drafted this Cooperation Act. I think that, if you look closely enough, it will be the same for your own countries. Jean, I understand that the French wizarding community benefits greatly from the sale of certain cosmetic potions – specifically ones that contain the Attractiveness Enhancing Charm. Under this proposed Act, that charm would be filed under Dark Magic, and any further sale of those potions would be violation."

"Yes, that's been made very clear, Mr. Malfoy. However, it is also not in the best interest of our Ministry to refuse to cooperate with the rest of the international wizarding community. If we upset our neighbors by refusing to cooperate, won't that also cause us damage?" Black asked, with a very valid point.

"That would be if the rest of the international community were to follow along with Miss Weasley's Act."

"Thirteen of fifteen countries have agreed to sign!" the Russian consul stated.

"They've agreed to sign, but as they have not done so yet, there is still time to convince them otherwise. Seriously, Britain has made decisions for the rest of the wizarding community, and this is not acceptable. Special considerations need to be made for each country, as every country is different, and the current agreement doesn't allow for that. I would be doing you a disservice to allow your countries to enter into an agreement that isn't in their best interests," Draco said, sincerely. There was a nod of agreement from Black, but he felt that perhaps he had gone to far with the Russian consul – there was a glimmer of distrust in his eyes as he stared back at Draco from across the table.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'd heard that you would be meeting here this afternoon – considering you weren't able to make our meeting this morning, I hope you don't mind my dropping by," the cool redhead said, with a charming smile as she entered the room. Sitting back lazily in his chair, Draco gazed at her with cold and searching eyes. The mask was carefully frozen into place, layered with several protective layers of ice. Her face was completely unreadable, and to the entire world that didn't know any better, she was just a pleasant politician stopping by for a chat with her colleagues.

"Not at all, Virginia. Please, do sit down," Draco said, standing and gesturing to an open chair across from him. She smiled coolly, and sat down, placing the stack of files in her hand gently on the table. "We were just discussing that Cooperation Act of yours in some greater detail."

"I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Malfoy, seeing as the last date to officially enter into the agreement is tomorrow. Now, Mr. Black, I received an owl this morning from your Minister, and I must say how very pleased I am that he wholeheartedly agreed to sign the document at the press conference tomorrow. I was wondering, what would be a fitting 'thank-you' gift for a high-ranking politician in France?" she said, with a smile, pulling out a quill as if to take note of Black's response. Jean Black froze, a twisted look of horror on his face. This was news he had not heard before now.

_"If France's Minister has given our agreement, Malfoy, then it is too late for any further discussion,"_ Jean muttered to Draco, in French, with a fleeting glance at Ginny's patiently smiling face.

_"She's bluffing, Black. He hasn't sent any owl," _Draco responded back in the same language.

"I assure you he did, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny said, her voice silencing the room. Draco stared at her, slightly surprised that she'd understood what had been said. After a moment's paused, she continued, this time speaking in French, and directing her comments to Jean Black. _"You may see the letter for yourself, Mr. Black, if you doubt my sincerity."_

"No, no, _mademoiselle_, that will not be necessary," he answered back, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red, embarrassed to be caught. Draco met her eyes, they were sparkling with triumphant, and her look obviously stated: Weasley, 1, Malfoy, 0.

"Well, as you all may be aware, with France's recent agreement, that leaves only Bulgaria and Russia who so far have not stated their position on this document," Ginny began, when the rush of fluttering wings interrupted her. A large owl flew importantly into the room, dropped an envelope on the table in front of Ginny, before leaving. Ginny picked up the letter, and felt her heart stop suddenly. The return address from the Ministry of Magic in Germany.

"Russia will cooperate with the international wizarding community in this matter," the Russian consul spoke up, suddenly. Ginny felt a wave of relief wash over her. Fourteen of fifteen; she'd won.

"Don't mind us, Virginia, by all means, see to your message. It may be important," Draco's voice cut through her elation, bringing her back down to reality. With a slight frown, she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the piece of parchment.

It was terrible to watch her face fall as she read the letter, as he knew very well what it contained. The shimmer of joy that was emanating from her eyes seemed to have been snuffed rather abruptly as her brown eyes swept over the page, and a flush of red filled her pallid cheeks. Her hand shaking slightly, she set the letter down quickly, tucking it into one of her file folders – trying to seem calm and collected, and not look like the terrified doe she was, caught in the headlights and desperate to run for cover.

"Sorry about that. Now that Russia has agreed, all that needs to be discussed is the actual signing ceremony, which will take place tomorrow morning at our press conference – oh goodness, another one?" she said, trying to return to the business at hand, until another owl interrupted her. Another letter was dropped onto the table in front of her, and as that owl fluttered out of the room, another swept in, and another letter was added to the pile. He watched, detached, as her eyes became bright, and her face terribly pale. As she was opening the two new letters, six more arrived in a flurry of wings and feathers.

The two consuls were watching, perplexed, as she opened the letters, slowly at first, and then became more frantic. As the last one was opened, she looked up at Draco Malfoy, her eyes full of shock and contempt.

"Miss Weasley, I believe that the Russian Ministry has just consented to cooperate with the rest of the international wizarding community. Assuming that the majority of the countries involved with this Act have agreed to sign, that means that Russia will as well. That is, assuming, that the majority of the countries are all still in agreement about your proposed Act?" Draco asked smoothly, an eyebrow raised, knowing very well what was to come.

"No," she said softly, her eyes downcast. The two consuls started, surprised.

"What do you mean, has any of the countries backed away from the agreement?" he asked. She looked up at him, a burning anger behind her eyes.

"Yes, in fact. Nine countries, to be exact, have suddenly decided that they would like special adjustments made in their favor before they will agree to sign it. Italy, Spain, Portugal, India, the United States, Germany, Guatemala, Brazil and China," she listed, her voice shaking as she struggled to contain her emotions.

"That's rather unfortunate, Miss Weasley. Without your major base of support, I can see most of the other countries backing away as well. Seeing as this matter has just taken care of itself, you must excuse me gentlemen, Miss Weasley, I have some other business to take care of," Draco said, making his way towards the exit with a polite nod to the other men, and a lingering look in Ginny's direction. She was sitting in that chair and was looking small and lost, as she stared blankly down at the pile of letters in front of her. With an inward sigh, he left the room, closing the door behind him with a click.

* * *

She cursed the sound her heels made on the hallways, alerting him to her presence. The sound of the door closing shut behind him had snapped her out of her fog, and she had bolted out of the room, probably to absolute surprise of the two politicians still there. He had stopped when he heard her coming, but he hadn't turned around, and she assumed he was plotting what to say.

"How did you do it, Malfoy?" she asked coldly, once she was within a few feet away from him.

"Do what, Weasley?" he asked, his tone neutral. She could kick him! How could he infuriate her so much, and yet still make her pulse beat wildly when she was near him, all the while that insipid neutral look on his face? For the first time since she'd stormed out of the Manor in Bulgaria, she'd felt that crackle of energy in the room as soon as she'd crossed the threshold. She'd gone six agonizing days without it, and it had thrown her how much relief it had brought her, upon seeing him again.

And she couldn't get a single emotion from him! He was completely blank and neutral, layering it with passable politeness, without a single betraying facial movement. She couldn't tell if he had felt the crackle in the air, the surge of energy, upon her entering the room – she'd nearly dropped to the floor in the flood of relief that the energy was still there – that she could still feel it – and he was blank and neutral!

"How did you manage to convince nine of my countries to back out at the last minute? Some of these countries have extremely faithful relationships with Britain, they wouldn't consider going back on their word without some kind of major cause. What have you done to make them change their minds? What kind of bribery did you use? For how much were they bought?" she spat out, allowing her tongue to get carried away as her temper swept forth.

"I didn't have to bribe any of them, Weasley. It wasn't necessary," he said coldly, as he turned to face her.

"Then _how did you do it? _Congratulations, Malfoy, you've beaten the best. Now tell me how you did it," she demanded, her eyes blazing.

"The amendments you had planned on making, that you sent to Fudge before…before Longbottom attacked. You left some papers behind, and I merely showed them to the other countries involved in the Act – they had a right to know what special considerations you were offering one country, but not others," he answered heavily. She stood, frozen in shock, glaring back at him.

"You used my own papers against me? You damn well knew that I was scrapping those changes, so you sent them false information!" she yelled.

"You left them behind, what was I supposed to think?"

"You scheming, conniving and manipulative bastard! I can't believe you would steal my papers and use them against me, manipulating the truth just so you could win!" she yelled in shocked outraged.

"Slytherin!" he cried, gesturing towards himself with a half-shrug as if it explained and excused everything.

"It's only as false as it appears, Weasley, and a half-truth is the best lie. It was in your own writing, in the same type of language you so brilliantly worded the rest of the Act in," he said, avoiding her eyes. She made a move forward, as if to strike at him, before she stepped back.

"Well, I guess you've won. Bulgaria is as safe as ever, with its rampant use of Dark Magic, because the Act is going to fail tomorrow. And you've single-handedly destroyed my credibility, so there's no threat I could ever drum up enough support to start this all over again. I hope you got everything you wanted out of this," she said softly.

"You can't always get what you want. I thought that was something you'd learned long ago with Potter and how you were always the invisible tag-along little sister," he said, with a smirk. Ginny felt something in her snap, and a blast of energy later, Malfoy was sprawled on the floor, disheveled and looking dazed.

She stared down at him in wonder – since leaving Bulgaria, she'd been unable to conjure any kind of magic without her wand. Her wonder dissolved as he jumped to his feet and straightened his appearance huffily.

"Always the hypocrite – using something you'd like to see outlawed, Virginia." She stared back at him, and the sense of defeat she'd felt from the moment those letters had started arriving vanished in a blaze of rage.

"This is NOT over, Malfoy! I don't care what I have to do, you're not going to win!" she yelled, before turning on her heel and storming away.

* * *

He walked into the darkened office, smiling ruefully to see the stream of light coming from her office. He had heard, through the Ministry gossip grapevine, what had happened earlier that afternoon. Unable to find her at her flat, he assumed that this would be the next logical place to find her. Knowing his little sister, she wouldn't give up – she'd fight to the last second to get the signatures she needed.

He knocked on the door, and peered in, to see her slumped over her desk, head in hands, as she stared dejectedly at what looked like an old pile of post. She looked up, startled at the sound of his knock, but then looked back down at the desk.

"Hey Gin. We were all wondering where you were – we stopped by your flat, but it was pretty empty, so I figured you'd be here," he said softly, trying to be gentle. Hermione had coached him, when they'd arrived to find her flat empty, how he should act and what he should say when he did manage to find her. _Don't take this the wrong way Ron, because I know your heart is in the right place, but you have the emotional sensitivity of a Bludger, and if you're not careful, you're just going to upset her even more_, Hermione had warned. He'd listened carefully, taking in each piece of advice, determined not to fail either of the women in his life.

"I had some paper work to finish up," she said, her tone flat and dull. Ron walked over, and sat down at the chair in front of her desk, and stared at her, unblinking, as she shuffled half-heartedly through her papers, as if to keep up the charade that she was actually working and not wallowing in self-pity.

"I heard what happened this afternoon," he said, and she stopped.

"Well, I guess it's better that you all find out now, instead of at the humiliation that's going to be the press conference tomorrow. It's too bad, really, I was really starting to enjoy this office," she said dully.

"Fudge wouldn't dare sack you, Ginny! You're too good for him to loose!" Ron protested, jumping to his feet in outrage.

"He won't sack me, Ron. Fudge has the intelligence of a pumpkin pasty, but he's smart enough to keep those around him who keep him afloat, and I just happen to be one of them. But no, I'm going to resign. It's all over," she explained.

"All over? What on Earth are you talking about, Gin?"

"Didn't you hear the whole story Ron? He took my papers, the amendments I was going to make to the Act, and showed them around to all the Ministries. They all think that I've been lying to them, while secretly making special arrangements for Bulgaria. All nine of the Ministers refused to see me this afternoon, every single one. Normally, they're the ones trying to see me, and now I can't even get five minutes! He destroyed my credibility, Ron. My career is over. He beat me," she said, falling forward with a groan, and a giant thwack as her head banged against the desk.

"That lousy bastard! He won't get away with this! We can explain it all, Gin, he's not going to win this! Once they find out the truth, you'll be back and able to do your job," Ron said, ready to do battle for her. She looked up, a pathetic red bump forming on her forehead, and shook her head, before settling her head back on the desk.

"You know, I thought you'd be happy about this, Ron," she said, her voice muffled.

"Why would you think that?" he demanded.

"Because now there's no chance I'll ever speak nicely to him ever again, let alone touch him. You were so angry when you saw us together that one morning, I figured that these recent events, which eliminate any possibility of that ever happening again, would at least make you less angry with me," she explained. Ron sighed, and sat back down in the chair.

"Oh Ginny, I'm such a bloody idiot," he groaned. She sat up, and stared at him, perplexed. "You thought I was angry at you? No, I wasn't mad at you. Malfoy – I wanted to tear his face off, but that's because he's a slimy git who seemed to think it was okay to have his grimy paws all over my little sister."

"Ron!" she started to protest, before he stopped her.

"No, Ginny, I wasn't mad about you kissing my mortal enemy. Little perturbed, come to think about it, but not mad. I was really angry, because…well, it was the first time in a long, long time I can remember seeing you really happy. I didn't even know that you were unhappy, all this time, but when I saw you with him, even looking out from a window, I could see how happy you were. I can't remember the last time you looked like that. I'm mad because it took an arse like Malfoy to make me see what I've been missing," he explained, his voice soft, other than the mentions of Malfoy, which naturally added an aggressive sound to the name.

"Oh Ron…" Ginny said, unable to think of words to express how deeply that affected her.

"I'm sorry, Gin," he said, awkwardly. She nodded, biting her lip, and looking away. A long silence filled the room, before Ginny decided to break it again.

"He stole my papers. I can't believe it, still, even now. He warned me that he would come after me with everything he had, but I didn't quite believe it. I didn't think he would be able to do that to me. But then again, he lied about one of the most important things he ever could, so why should I be surprised?" she asked, bitterly.

"He's an idiot, and sooner or later he'll realize it."

"I'm the idiot. I've been killing myself the past week, trying to get this Act signed, when I don't believe in it anymore. My eyes have been open, Ron, I know that the changes I was going to make are the right thing to do. But he made me angry, so very angry, that I had to get back at him somehow," she said softly, as realization struck for the first time.

"I had a feeling your heart wasn't in it this time. Before you went away, you lit up when you talked about this project, but after you came back, it was like a giant burden."

"Well, it's a burden no longer, Ron, because it's going down in flames, along with my career!" Ginny said, laughing slightly. She had to laugh; otherwise she'd start to cry. "What am I going to do, Ron?"

"Poison his pumpkin juice?" he asked hopefully. She glared at him. "Alright, well then, you can go out there tomorrow and accept failure and humiliation, or open someone else's eyes the way yours have been opened."

Ginny sat up, stunned. "Ronald Weasley, since when did you develop that kind of insight?"

"Hermione's influence," he answered, blushing slightly. Ginny jumped up, and started furiously gathering her files together, before she made a mad dash for the door.

"You're the greatest brother a diplomat could ever have!" she cried, before she ran off, leaving her "greatest brother" sitting alone in her office.

* * *

This chapter made me very very angry, which is why it took awhile. Got frustrated with the dialogue and lack of a name for the Russian guy (obvious?)...

One more chapter left, coming in about a week or so, and then it's all over (excuse me while I go and cry in a corner).

I have the horrible feeling that this is just starting to drag on and on, and that it might be frustrating my readers. If that's the case, I'm sorry, but there was still story to tell! I dread the thought that this had gone on too long.

ANYWAY, I've also started another story, called the Pilgrim's Badge (you can find it on my author's page), if you're interested. It's only going to be about 7 chapters long, and a teeny, tiny bit AU, but I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think! (first chapter's posted!)

And now, it's 4:45 AM, and I need to sleep.


	44. The Silence of Victory and Defeat

**Sniff! **Here it is, the last chapter, all ready for you. It's uber-long – it took a lot more to tie my loose ends than I thought it would. Author notes to follow at the end.

**

* * *

Chapter 44: The Silence of Victory and Defeat**

"You're a great big foolish bastard, did you know that Draco?" the pleasantly snarky voice of his cousin greeted him as he Apparated into study of Malfoy Manor. Slightly taken aback by both her presence and the unusual greeting, he simple grunted in response, shrugging out of his robes and tossing them aside as he brushed past her without a word. Gabrielle cringed slightly behind his back at the furious glow in his eyes, but chose to follow him as he stormed away. "I heard about what happened this afternoon, and I think you're a rotten, scheming jerk and I sincerely hope that Ginny beats you at this game."

"That's impossible now. I've successfully ruined her career," he answered, his tone cold and dull. Gabrielle stopped in her tracks as she heard him. This was not the confident Draco Malfoy relishing in a successful and hard-won victory, nor even the arrogant, cocky little twit he'd been apt to be after winning a Quidditch match with his friends when he was younger. He was much more reserved, and seemingly exhausted. And, most importantly, upset over his victory.

"And along with that career, you've also ruined any chance you'd had at making her forgive you for lying to her, and wining her trust back again, and making you the luckiest man alive," Gabrielle added, sarcastically. He stopped and turned to glare at her, coldly.

"Isn't that what you're doing for Potter when you buckle down and actual marry him?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, a grimace plain on his face. Old rivalries died hard.

"Stop being a bloody fool, Draco. What is it you said to her? 'You can't always get what you want', I believe it was. That's an interesting comment coming from you, Draco. You're the one who always told me to do whatever was necessary to make sure you got what you wanted, and it would appear that you're backing away from that," she said angrily. Harry, who had heard from Ron, had described all that had been said between the two. This information had been carefully recorded in the Ministry hallway, and this recording was swiftly making its way around the Ministry offices – the one Weasley famous for never losing her temper, finally losing it in a public place in front of the young and powerful Draco Malfoy was seen as rather entertaining, and no one wanted to miss out.

"You _don't_ always get what you want, Gabrielle. I had to make a choice – I could let her anger with me motivate her to do something she would eventually regret when she'd cooled down enough and had a chance to think it over, or I could let her carry on with her personal vendetta and impose regulations that would hurt our family, Bulgaria and a host of other countries, but risk making her even more angry with me. The way I saw it, there was no way I was going to come out of this situation a winner, even if I won, so I had to make a choice."

"What a terrible choice! You've destroyed her credibility with the international wizarding community! Perhaps you aren't as informed as you should be, Draco, but her name was being floated about as a potential replacement for Fudge when the old fool finally retires. The youngest, and the first female Minister, in wizarding history! You took a lot away from her today, Draco," Gabrielle yelled. His eyes flashed in a way that made her heart twist painfully in her chest, and she regretted yelling at him. It seemed he was suffering enough.

"I had to, Gabrielle. If you understand nothing else, you have to understand that. She opened her eyes when she was with me in Bulgaria. She's had enough regret in her life, I couldn't let her add to the list," he said softly. "Especially considering the way she tortures herself with things from the past."

"So, you're telling me that you were a rotten, scheming little rat for her benefit? Because you didn't want her to pass the Cooperation Act, and then realize her mistake and regret it?" Gabrielle questioned skeptically.

"Yes."

"You take the term 'tough love' to a whole new dimension, cousin." Draco laughed, with a bitter edge in the sound, before he returned to the study, and sank into one of the chairs, his head in his hand.

"The look in her eyes when I told her what I did…that I'd sent a copy of her amended Act to the other Ministers…it was the same look she had when Longbottom took of his hood and she saw that he was still alive and also evil. The guilt about his death…it tortured her for well on six years…and she gave me the same look. There was no hatred in it, just a lot of pain," he mumbled wearily.

"What are you going to do about this?" Gabrielle asked.

"There's nothing to do. I lied to her, stole her papers, and ruined her career. You think I should just pop by and ask her out for dinner and offer to help her scan the want ads?" Draco sneered.

"Stop your damn moping and think a little more like a Malfoy," she snapped suddenly. Draco sat up, surprised. "Malfoys get what they want. We examine the problem, plot the best solution to solve the problem, and we implement that plot no matter what may stand in our way."

"Gabrielle, please, just leave this alone," he groaned. She grabbed his shoulders, rather roughly for her usual sweet temperament, forcing him to look at her.

"I know you want her. What are you going to do about getting her?" she asked. Draco was slightly thrown off by the appearance of the sudden Malfoy-thinking in his younger cousin.

"There's nothing to do, Gabrielle. Unless I suddenly declare Bulgaria's unconditional support for the Act and try to convince other countries to do the same – which I have no reason to do, since it still is against the best interests of the country," he snapped.

"Perhaps if you explain, apologize and grovel?"

"Malfoys don't grovel! Besides, I have nothing to apologize for," he growled dangerously. Before Gabrielle could argue back, the sound of someone Apparating cut her off.

"Darien! I didn't expect to see you here!" she explained, surprised to see her brother standing before them. She paused as she observed him – there was something foreboding in his eyes, that couldn't be explained by the heavy shroud of grief that had been hanging over her entire family since the discovery of Danika's death. "What's wrong?"

"Ginny Weasley didn't kill Danika, and Bulgaria is facing the rise of a Dark wizard," he said, darkly.

* * *

Draco had lost the capacity to move his limbs. Shock had rendered him immobile. He watched helplessly as Gabrielle took charge, jumping up and guiding her brother to a chair, then forcing a tumbler of brandy into his hands, hoping it would help stop their shaking, and had started to try to extract information from him. He was giving his answers in broken sentences, will very little coherence to be found in his words. Darien was obviously and visibly rattled – shell-shocked perhaps was a much more appropriate term.

"There's no possibility of a Dark wizard rising in Bulgaria, Darien! We just don't practice that kind of magic!" Gabrielle protested.

"It seems that his followers have disagreed. His technique is rather ingenious – he's managed to convince huge numbers of wizards that the Bulgarian Ministry is caving towards the wishes of Britain's Ministry and that unless they act against him and impose their type of magic on the entire country, we'll be taken over by Fudge and his followers. He's been infiltrating communities throughout the country for years, now, starting this kind of discontent, until he has them so certain that his is the only course of action. They have…plans, to move against the Ministry and families that would oppose them," Darien said, his eyes flashing with a guarded hint in Draco's direction. _Families that would oppose them…our family_, Draco realized, his thoughts scattering in a million different directions.

"Who is the wizard?" Gabrielle asked quietly. Darien laughed bitterly.

"Longbottom, of course. It appears as though your little Ministry witch didn't take care of him that night in the sanctuary like we'd all hoped. Now we're going to have to pay the consequences," he answered darkly.

"If Weasley didn't kill Danika, how did she die?" Draco asked, finally finding his voice.

"Longbottom, again, cousin. The blast didn't kill her like we thought it did. She died afterwards, by him before he made his escape," Darien explained.

"How? How do you know this?" Draco demanded, feeling a sudden burst of rage he couldn't explain. He shot out of his chair, standing to loom over his dark-haired cousin.

"The _Excessus Veneficus _test on her wand. My father and I were discussing ways that Longbottom could have escaped from Ginny that night. When the magic blast exploded, she said he was right in front of her. Danika was a few hundred feet away, and she wasn't able…able to escape. If it didn't kill Longbottom, where the concentration was strongest, how could it hurt Danika when she was so much further away? All it did to us was to knock us off our feet. So…we tested her wand, and it didn't contain the same magical residue that our own wands did, from the blast. But it did have something that pointed to the Avada Kedavra curse, and Neville Longbottom," he explained, his voice cracking slightly as he mentioned his sister.

"What? What is the..the _Excessus Vene…_" Gabrielle questioned.

"_Excessus Veneficus_…it's a test for wands that have been exposed to great magic – such as Weasley's blast in the forest. All magic leaves a residue, and if it's strong enough, your wand will absorb that residue, which can help you find the source of the power."

"It was Longbottom, not Ginny?" Draco asked, frozen in place. Darien nodded solemnly.

"Has anyone told her?" he asked, the question loaded with so much emotion, Gabrielle felt her throat tighten as tears burned behind her eyes.

"I thought you would be the best person to tell her," Darien said, his eyes meeting Draco's.

"What about Longbottom? What are we going to do to stop him? We should get Harry, he'll want to know about this," Gabrielle said, anxiously.

"Potter already knows; it's his job after all. There's only one thing that we can do to stop Longbottom" Draco said, his eyes glittering with a sudden spark that had been missing for six days.

"What is that?"

"Make sure that Virginia Weasley's Act does get passed."

"Draco, wait! Stop!" Gabrielle called, practically running to keep up with him as he swept out of the room, a man on a mission, after making his startling announcement.

"No time!" he called, as started to dash up the stairs.

"Tell me why you spontaneously have the need to do the exact thing you've been working like a maniac to prevent!" she called. He turned to face her.

"It's the only way to stop Longbottom. The answer is exactly what I've been trying to get Ginny to understand – it's the culture that decides things, not the laws."

"I don't understand," Gabrielle said, her confusion apparent on her face.

"The wizarding population in Bulgaria has very few laws, Gabrielle. Why is that?" he asked.

"We don't need them. The only things we have laws for are the very important, essential things – Unforgivable Curses, magic that mess with your free will such as Love Potions. What does this have to do with anything?"

"We've always said that a Dark Wizard couldn't rise in Bulgaria, because the culture just wasn't there for it – we do everything for the best interests of the whole country. But the few laws that we have are regarded as sacred and anyone who breaks them is immediately shamed and driven away."

"Yes. But you've lost me somewhere," she said slowly.

"If we sign that Act, then it becomes law. And whether or not Longbottom has a thousand supporters, the law is still sacred. We won't allow anyone to break either our laws or our cultural conventions – such as trying to become more powerful than your neighbors."

"But the reason they're joining him is _because_ of the law in the first place!" Gabrielle protested.

"It doesn't matter! They'll obey the law while encouraging politicians to fight to change it. But as long as they are obeying it, Longbottom will lose all his power. It's the best way to stop him!" Draco cried, with a genuine smile on his face. Gabrielle surveyed him for a second, with slightly narrowed eyes. "I don't have much time, the press conference is early tomorrow morning!"

"Yes, this will solve _everything_," she said knowingly, as he once again took off, barely noticing the hidden meaning in her words. It seemed, without being completely aware of it, that Draco had a real shot at getting what he wanted, and Gabrielle figured that this was, above everything else, the reason he had smiled for the first time in a week.

_

* * *

The next morning…_

The buzz of the reporters milling around them, competing for the places closest to the podium, was beginning to grate on Ron Weasley's nerves. As yet another reporter jostled him aside in order to edge closer to the front of the room, he had to grit his teeth to keep from yelling at the sodding git.

"I don't understand how you, big brother and all, can be so calm about this whole thing," Hermione's voice said, as she pushed her way through the crowd to him. He smiled, and before he could stop it, his eyes did a quick scan of the room, searching to see a certain person was there. "This is going to be terrible to watch the press rip her apart for not delivering on the Act."

"She's got some sort of plan, and she seemed really optimistic about it. You know us Weasleys, we always have something up our sleeves," he said with a smile.

"Indeed," Hermione responded.

"Where's Michael today?" Ron asked, before he could stop himself. Hermione had been under a bit of strain the past few days that didn't have anything to do with the long hours at the office and concern for Ginny. It was the kind of strain he recognized he'd recognized from past instances in their friendship – too many years of being The Best Friend Ron allowed him to tell when Hermione was experiencing "boy trouble", not that she'd ever elaborate on it with him, though. Her general snippiness increased significantly, and her tolerance for their habitual good-natured bickering faded significantly. This time, however, there seemed to be an air of nervousness around her that he just couldn't place that seemed to be contributing to the strain, more so than any problems she may have been having with that git, Michael.

"He's not coming," she said, shifting her eyes away from his curious gaze.

"I thought you were going to get him to come, so we could stack as many people loyal to Ginny in the room as possible, so that they can tear her apart when there's so many of her supporters here," Ron said, struggling to keep his voice neutral, as he stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her. Hermione bit back a smile.

"I asked him not to come. I figured it would be awkward, and all, considering that we've just split up," she said.

"Sorry to hear that, 'Mione. What happened?" he asked, turning to look at her, reaching out and patting her shoulder in a way he assuming was comforting.

"Well mostly…the incident in Bulgaria gave a whole new perspective on things. I did a lot of research into the psychology of near-death experiences and how they can change your whole perspective on many different things, and make you things that you were blind to before, and I guess that's what happened," she said with a simple shrug. Ron narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Hermione, we've had many near-death experiences. That's old news now, isn't it?"

"But that's just it – _we've_ had so many near-death experiences. Michael is someone who I could never have that kind of experience with, nor _would _I want to."

"Are you telling me that because of the incident in Bulgaria, you're going to be judging all your relationships based on whether or not you would want to face death with them?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione smiled.

"That's exactly it. I'm glad you understand. But you were wrong about one thing. I'm not going to be judging all my relationships by that, because it won't be necessary. I also realized that there is actually only one person I would want ever face death with," she said, a little breathlessly, as if she was incredibly anxious. Her eyes flicked up to take in Ron's expression, which was currently reflecting absolute bafflement. She sighed heavily, looking down, before she, rather timidly, slid her small hand into his larger one, before looking back up at him with a questioning look mingled with a cringe on her face.

Ron's eyes widened in confusion, before realization dawned on his face, followed by a flush of color as he turned a bright shade of red. He gaped; at her and then down to her hand grasping his, and back again. She bit her bottom lip nervously, and waited as Ron processed this new information.

"I'm sorry it took facing potential death for approximately the eighteenth time with you to truly open my eyes and see you there," she said softly, with a helpless shrug. He shook his head, and Hermione felt her heart, which had been pounding in her throat, drop. She started to turn away, when she felt his hand still holding hers.

"You're a complete nutter, you know that right, Hermione?" he asked, a smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes into a glare, ready to snappishly comment on the lack of his maturity in important and emotional moments, but before she could, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Leave it to you, the brightest witch of her age, to start this kind of conversation in the middle of a crowded conference room, crammed with as much reporters as possible, with Ginny's press conference about to start any minute," he whispered near her ear.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," she said haughtily, before laughing.

"Bloody hell, it looks like it's about to start," he said, groaning. "We'll have to finish this later today…somewhere more private. But…for the record, Hermione, you're the only _I _would want to face death with, as well. Well, you and Harry. But just because it's Harry and after all the You-Know-Who stuff…oh sod it, you know what I mean!"

"For once, I think I really do," she said, with a beaming smile as he sat down in one of the chairs reserved for them at the front of the room, pulling her with him. "Now be quiet, Ronald Weasley, it's about to start."

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Virginia? I think it's a brilliant decision and you have my full support, of course, but it just seems so different from what you originally proposed," Cornelius Fudge said anxiously, as Ginny passed by him hurriedly; attempting to put on one shoe while trying to put on her suit jacket at the same time, while carrying the folder holding her revised speech.

"I'm absolutely positive that this is what needs to be done," she said distractedly, as she dropped the folder, stumbled slightly as the errant shoe was placed securely on her foot, and the jacket adjusted properly and buttoned. With a sigh, she picked up her folder, and took a deep breath.

This was the first time that this felt absolutely right. Her entire career at the Ministry had been about redemption – she felt that she had to make something of herself, to be a successful person, in order to redeem Neville's 'sacrifice', to prove that her life had been worth saving at his expense. It had driven her to where she was today, but behind all that ambition was the sorrow and guilt that had been eating her alive. But now, the purpose was her own, the motivation wasn't a ghost from her past, but the desire to do the right thing. It felt so right, as if this role was indeed made for her, and she was the 'natural' that everyone thought she was.

"I guess it's time," she said, glancing at the clock.

She could hear the loud bustle of the press as they scrambled to take their positions when they saw her enter the room, and step up to the podium. She scanned the crowd, almost out of habit, and spotted her brother and Hermione sitting together, along with Harry and Gabrielle. She was surprised that Gabrielle was there at all; she had assumed that she would naturally take Draco's side. After scanning the room and all the pairs of eyes staring at her in silence, she noted with a strange detachment, that one particular pair of gray-nearly-silver eyes wasn't there. She steeled herself to her task, and convinced herself that it was better this way.

She stepped up to the podium, ignoring the camera flashes as she laid her speech down on the podium, and after taking a deep breath, she began.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, Ministers, members of the press. I'd like to thank you all for being here this morning. As you may know, today is the deadline that will decide the future of the International Cooperation Act; a piece of law that would create an unprecedented standard of regulation of the Dark Arts throughout all the international wizarding communities who have agreed to support this Act.

"I have spent many months, working with other Ministries from around the world, to create an agreement to see the successful elimination of all Dark Arts from the international community. We, in Britain, know first-hand the danger and misery that Dark magic can cause, after our experience with Lord Voldemort. After witnessing this kind of horror caused by the Dark Arts, I wanted more than anything to see that all instances of Dark magic be made illegal and stopped so that wizards such as Lord Voldemort could never gain power ever again.

"This Act was drafted based on the definitions and regulations of the British Ministry of Magic. Our plan to was to take our rigid laws and have other countries adopt them in return for support and aide with their implementation. I, like all of us, assumed that this would be the best way to prevent the spread and growth of any Dark Arts, by exporting our regulations and standards abroad. However, over the past few weeks, I have discovered that this plan, indeed, has a fundamental flaw and we were very wrong to try to follow this path.

"It is this fundamental flaw that has led to the failure of this initiative, as the main countries who were committed to signing it have very recently reconsidered that decision."

There was a loud murmur throughout the crowd as everyone took in this announcement. Most of the Ministry officials, who had appeared to hear about the progress the newest rising star of the Ministry had made on her biggest project to date, were talking excitedly among themselves. Ginny looked around, trying to drink in the reactions. She took another breath, trying to force herself to focus on the remaining parts of her speech, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Virginia, I have to interrupt you for a moment, we have a guest with a very important announcement," Fudge whispered into her ear. She frowned but nodded, and allowed him to lead her to the side, and watched as he ushered in the guest.

She felt her heart stop as he stepped into the room, knowing by the very feel of magic in the air whom it was, even before she saw him. Her eyes widened, and it took all of her composure to remain standing as neutrally as possible as he approached the podium.

"If you'll excuse this brief interruption, Mr. Draco Malfoy, representing the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, has an announcement of grave importance to the topic at hand to make. Mr. Malfoy," Fudge said, gesturing to Draco, and moving out of the way so he could move forward.

"Good morning. Bulgaria is currently facing a very serious threat. A wizard, who was mistakenly believed to have been killed during the War, has recently resurfaced. This wizard, known as Neville Longbottom, is responsible for an attack on my home and family, and for the death of my cousin, Danika Malfoy. After escaping un-apprehended, Longbottom has since been attempting to gather supporters to him, and gain power in Bulgaria as an emerging Dark wizard." A series of gasps echoed throughout the conference room. Ginny felt as though someone had squeezed the air out of her lungs – he was lying, he had to be, about Danika! Why would he lie about that?

While those of the press began to shout questions at him, he remained silent, and he turned his head to meet her eyes. Ginny felt a tremor run through her; the thought that he was lying to protect flashed in her mind, but the events of the other were still fresh in her mind, and she dismissed that thought. He had already proved that she, personally, didn't matter to him.

"As it stands at the moment, we have no laws in Bulgaria to stop him, or to regulate the use of Dark magic," he continued after the bustle had faded once again. "We have been opposed to Ms. Weasley's proposal due to our belief that this kind of regulation is unnecessary. However, because of this emerging threat, I have been given the authority to unconditionally commit the Bulgarian wizarding community to the provisions laid out in the International Cooperation Act for the Removal of All Dark Arts, and we will sign it as it is written, as soon as possible. We also encourage all other countries to do so, because this event has impressed upon us once again the dangers of Dark magic, and the tragedy that can happen as a result of refusing to interfere, because of any economic or simple traditional considerations. Thank you."

His words rang out, echoing throughout the room. As the press hurtled questions his way, he simply towards the exit at the back of the room. Ginny moved back over to the podium, her mind racing, trying to figure out what to say, what course to take. As she settled behind the podium, she looked once again over the crowd, and caught sight of a pair of gray eyes, staring back at her, before he walked out the door.

"At Mr. Malfoy's sudden request, we will, of course, create an emergency agreement between our two countries so that we can help in any way necessary to eliminate this new threat in Bulgaria," she said, to a round of applause by the audience. She waited for silence again, before she continued. "The measures, however, will be temporary. It would not be in Bulgaria's best interest to commit permanently to the International Agreement for the Removal of All Dark Arts, and it would be irresponsible for our Ministry to take advantage of their emergency situation to force them to commit to it.

" Through my work with the different Ministries in attempting to push this agreement forward, I have learned that there are many differences in cultural that would be destroyed or put into jeopardy by our actions. The simple truth is that most countries are not like us; and there are many different conceptions of what constitutes a 'Dark Art' that does not match our own. It would be an act of injustice to expect to impose our own regulations on other countries, and in fact, could lead to an imbalance of power within the country, creating the exact kind of situation we are trying to avoid.

"For this reason, I am pulling the draft proposal of the International Cooperation Act off the table. It will be completely re-written and negotiated – with separate clauses for each signatory country to take into consideration their specific needs. And once the situation in Bulgaria is resolved, the temporary agreement in their case will be renegotiated.

"Our purpose is to make the wizarding world a safe place. In order to do that, we do have to stop the practice of the Dark Arts – but we have to make sure that we are responsible and _informed_ so that we can truly stop the practice of Dark magic, once and for all without repeating the mistakes of the past or sacrificing the relationships within the international wizarding community," she finished. The audience stared at her, before the room exploded into commotion, and questions were hurtled at her by the press, and Ministry officials jumped into action, beginning to plan the best course of action to help with the situation in Bulgaria.

It seemed like she blinked and then she was suddenly surrounded by people, clamoring for her attention. From what she could tell, there was a palpable excitement in the air, an excitement that invigorated her, causing her adrenaline to pulse through her body. She pushed through the crowd, trying to make her way to the door. Someone grabbed her arm, and she swung around to see Harry, Ron and Hermione had been able to reach her through the crush of people.

"Ginny! This is fantastic! You're taking an excellent stand, and they're loving you for it," Hermione said, looking around at the excitement in the room.

"He lied. Why would he lie about Danika?" Ginny demanded fiercely, her eyes stinging slightly. A look passed between Hermione and Harry.

"He didn't, Ginny. What he said is true, they just found out about it late last night. You're not responsible for her death," Harry said, attempting to be discreet as the room was milling with the press. Ginny stared back at him in shock.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her lower lip trembling. Harry nodded solemnly. She turned around quickly, and began pushing her way through the crowd once again.

"Ginny! Where are you going?" Ron demanded. She turned back, and smiled weakly at them.

"Should you be grouping your teams of Aurors? You have a new Dark wizard to fight, and full permission from Bulgaria to seek him out!" she called, before her small form disappeared into the crowd, as she made her way towards the exit.

"Virginia! Virginia! Where are you going? The press is dying to talk to you, as are all the Ministers!" Fudge's voice ran out down the back hallway that Ginny had chosen to make her escape, halting her in her tracks. She turned around and shrugged.

"Sorry, Mr. Fudge, but there's something I need to take care of. Clarice will have a copy of the agreement with her, you just need to sign it and get their Minister to do the same, and it's a done deal," she said, breathlessly. The poor man looked completely taken aback by her words.

* * *

"Virginia! You need to get back in there! This is your moment to prove what everyone's been saying about you. If you ever plan to be the Minister of Magic one day, I'm sure that you will get back in there!" he said, shocked by the lack of political posturing by his protégé. Ginny frowned, oddly perplexed by his words.

"I have no ambition to be Minister of Magic, Mr. Fudge, so I'm sure you'll see that I have no problem playing the political game at the moment, especially when I have somewhere more important to be," she said, with a respectful nod at the poor, baffled and blustering man, as she took her leave.

As she exited the Ministry of Magic, and stepped onto the Muggle street, she noted that, for the first time in over six years, the weight on her shoulders had been completely lifted, except for one small, little tug that she was determined to resolve before the end of the day. Beware all, who stand in the way of a determined Weasley and their goal.

* * *

She was floating, the euphoria still spread throughout her body, when she walked into the dark and quiet office. Her high heels clicking ominously on the floor, without a regard to propriety, she kicked them off with wild abandon, freed her long hair from its knot and began a little dance of victory, relief and a cathartic release of energy.

A slight cough coming from the shadows of the corner brought her up short, as she jumped slightly. Her eyes wide, she tried to draw herself up with as much dignity as possible, until the person stepped out of the darkness, and she could make out who it was clearly.

Draco stood before her, an otherwise neutral expression on his face if it weren't for the faint light in his eyes that most wouldn't be able to pick up. She looked into his eyes, trying to read his mind, trying to discover why he was there. The tension in the room rose exponentially, as moments ticked by in complete silence. Her strong political instincts, advising her to freeze up completely and not betray anything she was thinking, warred with the desire to set everything right, the way it should have been in the first place. Ginny barely dared to breath, wanting to say something, but unsure of what words to say, unwilling to be the first to break the silence. He stepped forward again. He seemed ready to say something, and that light in his eyes seemed to melt all of her resolve to remain silent.

"I didn't kill the Act for you, or for Bulgaria, or to save face or even my career," she said quietly, unable to tear her eyes away from his. He stepped even closer, so close he could almost touch her.

"And I'm not here because you killed the Act," he said, his voice equally as quiet as hers.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, and wanted to curse herself for the tremble in her voice.

"I could stay away any longer," he said, reaching out a hand to brush away a stray lock of hair from her face. They both started at the slight jolt of electricity and power that surged through them both at the contact, surprised it still existed. She looked at his hand in wonder, then took it in her hands, and placed her palm against his, and reveled in the force of power she could feel between them. "We belong to each other, Ginny."

"Do we, still? After everything that's happened?" she asked, keeping her eyes trained on their hands.

"We always have, we just couldn't see it," he said, reaching with his other hand to tilt her chin gently to look up at him. "I want us to belong to each other."

"You don't always get what you want," she said, with slightly more bite in her words than she intended. He raised an eyebrow, as if she had issued a challenge. With a swift move that left her completely breathless, he gathered her small body to him and captured her lips with is. She tried to resist and struggle free, but within a second, her body and the magical chemistry that existed between them took over, and all the energy, emotion and tension surged forward, funneling itself into the kiss.

She broke away, breathless, her body screaming at the pain of losing contact with him. His arms were still holding her tightly against him, and he pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes.

"If you don't get what you want, you go after it relentlessly until you do. It's a Malfoy thing," he said, with a slight smirk.

There was a clamor in the hallway, and the discordant echoes of voices and footsteps shattered the silence of the room. Ginny flinched slightly, turning her head to check to see if they were headed towards the office. She turned back, feeling an urgent need to make him understand, to explain.

"There's so much we need to say," she whispered, but before he could continue, he shook his head once, silenced any of her attempts to speak further as he kissed her again.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he buried his faced into her neck, and held her as if he never wanted to let go, tightening his grip as the clamor in the corridor approached, and then eventually faded again, into silence. She sighed, relaxing against his chest, reveling in the feeling of _rightness_ that existed between them at that moment. There was still a lot that needed to be cleared up between them, a lot that still needed to be said, but in that moment, in his arms, with the incredible spark of energy dancing over his skin at his touch, words just were not necessary.

They belonged together, the magic between them proved that. It was something she couldn't see, but it was there, and she knew it with everything that was in her. And for that moment, nothing else in the world mattered.

* * *

**Note the first**: I hate writing fluff, so if you were hoping for a huge, emotional reconciliation with tears and mutual declarations of everlasting, life long love, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I just couldn't see that in these characters. They're both too stubborn and have too much pride (although they both bend a little). I also detest conclusions, I never know how to end things to make it seem final and as if there is an actual ending, so if it's awkward or disappointing, I'm sorry. Without a plot twist for a cliff hanger, I'm lost when it comes to ending chapters.

**Note the second**: There will not be a sequel to this story. Sorry if you were hoping.

**Note the third**: If you're reading this right now, I want to extend a HUGE thank you for sticking through to the very end of this immensely long story (its almost 100,000 words). For anyone who ever reviewed, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a few comments on the story, I read and appreciated all of them.

**Note the fourth**: A very very small thread of this story has been very loosely inspired (so loosely that it's hardly recognizable) from the movie, An American President. I didn't want to mention this until the end, because it would have given away bits of the plot, but I feel its necessary to mention it.

**Note the fifth**: All other comments and notes about this story can be found on my livejournal ), including a few notes about some things that I tried to incorporate into the story that you may not have picked up on…(little things, so if people read it and say, oh, I can see that now, it'll make the effort seem worthwhile! Haha) Any questions about the story can also be answered there, or through email, just in case something wasn't clear to you.

And finally, this has been an awesome adventure in the HP fandom, and I'm going to continue writing more D/G-ness in other stories, so stay tuned if you're interested!

And thanks again! I'm done, I can't believe it!


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